


Welcome to Attitude City

by rachelisconfused



Category: Game Grumps, Ninja Sex Party - Fandom
Genre: Anxiety, Anxiety Attacks, Attitude City, F/M, Finally, Finished, Flashbacks, Mentions of Smut, PTSD, PTSD flashback, Panic Attacks, The End, attitude city au, i'll add tags as i need to, mentions of torture, mild violence, ninja sex party, superhero au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-26
Updated: 2016-05-24
Packaged: 2018-04-23 10:19:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 23,233
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4873060
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rachelisconfused/pseuds/rachelisconfused
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When you first moved to Attitude City, you were expecting a new adventure. However, what you weren't expecting was to be hunted down by Samurai Abstinence Patrol and forced to be protected by two strange guys who called themselves Ninja Sex Party.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

The ride to your new apartment was much longer than you originally thought it would be. Google told you it would be only just over two hours, yet with the agonizing traffic, it quickly became over three and a half. Finally, as the welcome sign came into view, you felt your heart pound even harder against your chest. There was no going back now.  
As you followed the exit off the interstate and into the city limits, you realized that Attitude City was exactly as your father once told you. Skyscrapers were in every direction, some as high as to even disappear into the clouds above. People were crowded on the street corners, focusing on all of the things that needed to be done on a typical Wednesday afternoon.  
You could immediately tell that you were going to be happy here.  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
After a few hours of unpacking, you finally decided to leave your stuffy apartment and get a better look at your new city. You passed by several polite street vendors trying to sell you shirts or hats with… a man’s face on them? Shaking your head, you politely declined, deciding against wearing a photo of some stranger’s face across your chest.  
All of a sudden, there was a bloodcurdling scream only a few feet away from you. You quickly turned to see someone rushing towards you, barreling through anyone who got in their way. Before they could reach you, you hurriedly pushed through all of the people standing around you. You kept running until finally you heard the screaming stop, taking deep breaths to calm yourself down.  
Both the blinding lights and the screeching of the brakes caused you to snap out of the paralysis that the screaming has placed you under just long enough to realize where you were. The screaming began again, but this time, you realized, it was emitting from your own mouth. Your feet felt glued to the cement street underneath you and all you could do was hold your hands up to block your face.  
One final though rang throughout your mind as you braced yourself for impact.  
Your first day in Attitude City and you were already going to die.  
Except the hit from the clunker car never came.  
Instead, you felt two strong arms wrap around you and pull you out the way, causing both of you to collide with the ground and roll away. As you opened your eyes, you looked at the person who saved your life, only to find the face that was printed on the shirt that the street vendor was trying to sell you. The same crazy, unmanageable hair and the same scar through his eyebrow. You blinked rapidly, trying to decide if it was simply a well-created hallucination or not.  
“Are you alright?” he whispered, not getting off of you.  
You reached up and gently traced your fingers along his stubble on his jawline. He chuckled slightly as you did so, obviously feeling ticklish. “You’re real?” you whispered.  
“Yeah,” he replied, finally shifting his weight and getting off of you. “And we really need to get going.” He held his hand out for you to grab and as soon as you did, gunshots fired through the air, landing only a few feet away from you. “Run! Ninja Brian can hold them off!”  
You stumbled to your feet and tried to keep up with the strange man as he pulled out along.  
“Where the hell are we going?”  
“Someplace safe!” the strange man yelled, continuing to pull on your arm.  
“Do you understand what’s happening?” you asked.  
“Samurai Abstinence Patrol,” he breathed out. “You’re in trouble.”  
You didn’t even have time to evaluate what exactly he said before you were being pulled off again, forcing to run as fast as you can to keep up with the man’s long strides.  
Finally, after the gunfire stopped, you felt yourself able to breathe again. The two of you were now in an alleyway, facing each other, listening carefully for any signs of other people in your vicinity. Currently, the only noise you heard was your heart pounding desperately against your chest, almost as if it wanted to escape. You simply prayed that the man couldn’t hear it.  
“Are you alright?” he finally whispered, looking seriously concerned for your wellbeing.  
You nodded carefully, running your fingers over your forehead, only to see that your fingers were now stained in crimson. A few strands of your hair was matted down against your skull, trapped underneath the rapidly drying blood.  
“What do we do now?” you questioned.  
“My apartment. It’s the only place that Ninja Brian and I can ensure your safety.”  
“No way!” you replied, taking steps farther away from him. “There’s no way I’m going with you. I don’t even know you!”  
“I’m Danny Sexbang.”  
You raised an eyebrow. “Is that supposed to mean something to me?”  
“I’m a superhero. I’m here to keep you safe,” he tried to explain, stepping closer towards you. “Please let us help you.”  
“Us?”  
“Myself and Brian,” he said pointing over your shoulder to a man in a ninja costume, stalking your way. The most noticeable thing, however, was the fact that his hands were stained in blood.  
“Oh my god,” you whispered. “You’re going to kill me…”  
“What? No!” Danny shouted.  
“Just let me go,” you pleaded, taking another step away from him.  
Danny reached out for you, but was unable to reach you due to the sudden collision to your head, causing your body to go numb and the entire world around you fade to nothing but black.


	2. Chapter Two

There was only one thought running through your mind as you woke up later that night: you were going to strangle that curly haired freak and his ninja friend for knocking you unconscious.   
You sat up, slowly taking in your surroundings. The room you currently in was decorated in a deep scarlet color and there were heart shaped pillows on the foot of the bed. As you continued to scan the room, you noticed a large poster of Danny to the right of you, almost causing you to yelp out in panic.   
“________,” you heard a voice call out. You quickly turned to see Danny sitting in a plush leather chair on the left side of your bed. Frankly, you were surprised you didn’t spot him before.   
“How do you know my name?” you questioned.  
He held up your wallet and driver’s license and smirked. “Nice to see you finally waking up.”   
As you watched him, you felt rage boiling inside of you, ready to burst at almost any given time. He was just sitting there, oh so cockily, watching your every move. You could practically feel your face growing redder as time went by.   
“You kidnapped me,” you finally heard yourself whisper. “You fucking kidnapped me.”   
“Look,” he replied, standing up and taking a step closer to you. “I told you that we wanted to help you. That’s what we’re doing.”   
“There’s no way that knocking me unconscious is helping me!” you argued, taking a step back. “Now tell me how the hell to get out of here.”   
“I’m sorry, but I really can’t do that,” he said. “Samurai Abstinence Patrol is after you.”   
“How do I know you aren’t working for them?” you questioned, taking another step back. “Samurai Chastity Party or whatever.”   
“Me?” Danny demanded, his voice growing louder. “Working for Samurai Abstinence Patrol? I would never! They stand for everything that I’m against!”   
“And what exactly are you against?” you asked, almost terrified of the answer.   
“Abstinence!” he shouted. “I mean, I’m Danny Sexbang of Ninja Sex Party, for crying out loud!”   
“Wait a second,” you replied, suddenly putting the pieces together. “You guys are fighting due to your beliefs on sex…?”   
“Clearly.”   
“Oh, my god.”   
“What?” Danny questioned, clearly baffled by the disgusted look on your face.   
“You’re all a bunch of idiots! Just let me go home!” you demanded.   
“Look, _____,” he began, taking a step closer to you. You immediately understood that something was seriously wrong due to the distressed look on his face. “You can’t go home.”   
“What? Why not?”   
“Samurai Abstinence Patrol play dirty. They burned your apartment to the ground.”   
You practically felt the earth below your feet tremble. Your hands began to furiously shake and your palms were sweaty. Your mind began to race, wondering and questioning about everything that was happening. Why was this happening? Tears slowly began to roll down your face, but you felt too frozen to do anything about them. Danny quickly came to your side and helped you sit down on the bed behind you. He soothingly placed one arm around your shoulder and began to rub your back, trying his hardest to make you stop crying.   
“What about all of the people,” you heard yourself ask. “What happened to everyone else living in the apartments?”   
“They’re all okay,” he whispered. “Everyone made it out alive.”   
“But their things?” you whispered. “All of their belongings were burned, weren’t they?” He solemnly nodded. “And it’s all my fault…” you replied. “This is all my fault.”   
“No, it isn’t,” he lied. “But, _____, do you have any idea why they would be after you?”   
“No,” you replied. “I’ve never heard of them before they tried to kill me.”   
Saying the phrase “they tried to kill me” only made you realize just how true it was. Someone out there was trying to hurt you. Strangers wanted you dead.   
And you had no idea why.   
“Look, _____,” Danny said, removing his hand from your shoulder. “Why don’t you get some rest? You’re welcome to stay here as long as you like.”   
You nodded before slowly laying back on the bed. You curled yourself up into a ball and softly sobbed yourself to sleep, wondering exactly how this became your life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy October!   
> I hope you enjoyed this very short chapter. I'm already working on another one so hopefully it'll be done soon!  
> Thanks for reading and the lovely comments you left on the last chapter.


	3. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ~more character background~  
> thanks for reading!

“So you not talk because you physically can’t or because you don’t want to?”  
You were met by silence as you played with the crumbling cookie in your hands. Ninja Brian looked up at you briefly before ignoring your previous question. He continued slowly sliding his final cookie under his mask and trying to discretely munch on it.  
“Alright then,” you whispered. “Do you want another cookie?” He looked up and nodded once before continuing to eat. “Oh, so you answer to that, huh? I see how it is.” He let out a muffled chuckled as you stood up and walked back into the kitchen.  
“Don’t worry about him,” you heard Danny say. You looked over to see him, pulling out the carton of milk from the fridge and chugging out of it before continuing. You made a mental note to never drink out of that carton of milk again. His hair was sticking out in every direction, somehow, looking even curlier than it did the day before. He was wearing an old shirt with a faded emblem on it and a pair of gray, baggy sweatpants. “He does that to everyone. Including me.”  
“I’ll keep that in mind,” you replied as you picked up three more chocolate chip cookies for you and the ninja sitting in the next room over. You turned and handed an extra one to Danny who gratefully smiled and accepted.  
“Did you sleep well?” he asked though his own chewing.  
You shook your head. “Maybe about an hour or so. I finally just gave up and made cookies instead.”  
“Well, hey. At least we got something delicious out of it, right?” he asked, trying to lighten the mood.  
“I always cook when I can’t sleep,” you rattled off, losing yourself deep in thought. “I learned it from my dad. He would always cook delicious treats for my family to eat in the morning. My mother and I would wake up to a delicious array of cakes, cookies, and pies. It’s the only way we would truly know how he was feeling.”  
“I take it that you were close to him?”  
“Yeah,” you replied as you nibbled off a corner of one of the cookies slowly melting in your hands. “He was my best friend. He, um, died about a year ago.”  
You looked up to see Danny grow physically sadder. His eyes locked with yours and you could see the deep concern that bubbling up inside of him.  
“I’m so sorry,” he murmured. “I know that must’ve been tough.”  
“It’s okay,” you quickly replied, starting to make yourself feel guilty for even bringing up the topic. “Besides, if it never happened, I probably never would’ve moved to Attitude City.” Then you probably never would’ve been hunted down by some weird chastity patrol. You quickly shook your head at the incoming thoughts. “I’d rather not talk about it anymore.”  
“Well, _____, as much as I hate to say it,” Danny began, taking a step closer to you. “Ninja Brian and I do need to ask you questions about this entire situation.”  
You gulped and nodded solemnly before following him into the next room over.  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
“And then I was knocked out by your lovely friend here,” you remarked, throwing glares towards Ninja Brian, who only sat back farther in his chair and looked pleased with himself.  
“That’s all that happened?” Danny asked, tapping his pen against the notebook that he was hastily writing down information in.  
“That’s all that happened,” you affirmed.  
“Are you absolutely positive? You can’t leave out any details here.”  
You groaned and rubbed your temples, trying to ease your oncoming headache. “Yes, I told you everything.” Sighing, you began to retell the events of the previous day. “I was just walking in the street, enjoying my time in a new city, when all of a sudden, there was a deafening scream and a man running straight towards me. So naturally, I ran, but happened to stop just in front of a moving car. That’s where you came in.”  
“Did you catch a glimpse of the guy running towards you?” Danny pestered.  
You racked your brain for any memories of this guy’s face. “Dark hair. Maybe brown?” you whispered, as you tried to ignore the thumping in your head. You were desperately trying to remember anything about the man who was most likely behind all of your torment. Danny and Ninja Brian watched attentively as a severe wave of pain crashed over you, causing you to flinch heavily. “Brown,” you finally whispered. “Brown hair with a blonde streak.”  
“That’s definitely him.”  
“Him who?” you questioned, suddenly perking up.  
“Arin Neverbone of Samurai Abstinence Patrol,” he replied.  
“Arin Neverbone?” you repeated. “I’ve definitely heard that name before.”  
Both Danny and Brian visibly appeared more attentive to what you had to say. They were staring at you with wide eyes, waiting for you to continue.  
There was only one problem.  
You had absolutely no idea where you’d heard this name before.


	4. Chapter Four

The name haunted you for days.  
You thought about where you knew this name every second of everyday as you sat around Danny and Brian’s apartment. They struck a deal with you, saying that you had to stay with them until you could at least figure out where exactly you knew the name from. This meant that you spent almost every waking moment in Danny’s presence as he would try to jumpstart your memory. Whether it be by subtly whispering his name into your ear as you drifted off into a mid-day nap, or shouting it out from the other side of the apartment when he wasn’t near you.  
Neither way worked. You were still as clueless as ever.  
Finally, after almost three days of intense sleep deprivation and a plethora of pastries threatening to pour out of the refrigerator, you realized.  
During your second cycle of shampooing, it came to you. Not even caring that your hair was still full of mint smelling shampoo, you barreled out of the shower and quickly wrapped yourself up in a pink silk kimono that Danny gifted you and ran out of the bathroom door.  
And practically into the arms of a complete stranger.  
“Whoa,” the voice replied. “Just the lady I was looking for.” You took a step back, but the man didn’t let go of his grasp on your arm. Your eyes finally focused and you were able to see that it was none other than Arin Neverbone standing in front of you.  
Immediately you began screaming.  
And you didn’t stop until Danny came running through your door and grabbed onto your shoulders, shaking you lightly.  
You opened your eyes and slowly stopped screaming when you realized that Arin wasn’t anywhere near you. Rather, you were in “your” room, in “your” bed, with Danny examining you very closely. Tears were hastily rolling down your face and you couldn’t do anything but rock back and forth. Both your heart and your head were pounding and all you could feel was pain.  
“_____,” Danny pleaded. “What’s wrong?”  
“It was him,” you sobbed. “I saw him. Arin.”  
“Where did you see him?” he continued as he clasped onto your hands in an attempt to calm you down.  
“I was here, looking for you. And I just ran into him and he wouldn’t let me go and I…” you tried to speak out before you derailed into even more incoherent sobs.  
“It’s okay,” he whispered soothingly. “It was just a dream.” He wrapped his arm around you and brought you closer to him, letting you weep into his shoulder. “He isn’t going to hurt you.”  
“It just felt so real, Danny,” you sniffed. “He was going to kill me. He wants to kill me!” The salty tears crept down your face as your heart continued to beat against your chest, feeling as though it was threatening to escape.  
“Hey, _____,” Danny replied, grabbing your arms and carefully pulling you to face him. You sniffed once more and wiped your eyes, noticing the shoulder of his shirt was now damp with your salty tears. “I’m not going to let them hurt you. They will never hurt you.”  
“How do you know that?” you questioned. “Arin got to my dad. How the hell do I know if I’m safe?”  
“Wait,” Danny quickly replied, raising his eyebrows and staring at you. “What do you mean he got to your dad?”  
You took a deep breath before telling him all that you once tried to forget. “My dad died last year in a freak explosion at his factory. There were no survivors,” you bit the inside of your cheek before continuing to say the words you never wanted to say. “Arin Neverbone was one of the eyewitnesses of the explosion.”  
“He saw the entire thing? Do you think he…?”  
“He caused the explosion, didn’t he?” you whispered. “I mean, how could there be any eyewitnesses if no one made it out alive? The factory wasn’t close to any homes. No one was allowed in or out without special permission. I mean, I wasn’t even allowed on the property! It’s the only reasonable explanation!”  
“_____, are you sure?” Danny whispered, seeming scared for my response. When you nodded, his expressions grew cold and he loosened his grip on you before standing up. “We’ll deal with this tomorrow. Get some rest.”  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
“Dammit, Ross! Can you please just be quiet for a minute? She’s trying to sleep,” you heard Danny reprimanded from a few rooms over. You rolled over and pulled at the sheets next to you, finding them empty. Everything was quiet once more as you heard was your heart thumping against your chest. As you say up, you heard glass crash and shatter, shortly followed by Danny’s voice, correcting the man-- Ross, apparently-- who made a mess.  
You trudged across the room and pulled on a heavy sweatshirt that Danny had left you the night before and followed the voices, trying to find out what—or rather who—was causing all the chaos this early in the morning. Your body felt as heavy as lead as you walked down the winding hallway, trying to find Danny and the others. You suspected them to be in the living room, but when you finally made your way there, it was empty. In fact, the voices seemed to sound even further away—just whispers you could barely make out by this point. Finally, you give up on the wild goose hunt and call out for Danny, only to see him stick his head out from a room off to your left that you didn’t even know existed.  
“Did Ross wake you up?” he questioned when you walked through the door into a room that looked like an arcade. The walls were lined with shelves of video games—both old and new—as well as the consoles needed to play them. Brian was sitting on the couch next to two strangers—a brown-haired man, who you assumed was Ross, and a woman around your age with bubblegum pink hair. When he heard his name called, Ross paused the game that was on the screen and turned around to face you.  
“I wasn’t even that loud!” he defended, a strange hint of an accent poured out in his words, but it was far too Americanized to truly tell his origins.  
“It’s okay,” you murmured, feeling awkward in a stranger’s presence, especially after what happened in your dream last night. “I was already awake,” you lied.  
“So, _____, this is Ross and Holly,” Danny changed the topic, for which you were grateful. “They’re here to help us with this whole dilemma.”  
“And what exactly are they going to do?” you asked. His eyes began to gleam as you asked the question, and you could tell that you were going to be in trouble.  
“Let’s just ask,” he began, smiling wider with every word he spoke. “How do you feel about the color silver?”  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
Considering that you had never died your hair before, you didn’t think it was going to be this cold or sticky. The silver hair dye was matted all over your face and neck, making you question how much of it had even made it in your hair. Holly was beaming at her masterpiece on your head and you patiently waited for it to finish working its magic. She seemed to be impressed with how it turned out, however, making you feel more at ease with whatever it was she was doing.  
When Danny asked if you liked silver, you never expected it to be covering your head afterward. Frankly, you weren’t sure what he meant by the question, but it sure as hell wasn’t this. Every now and then, he would peek his head through the door in an attempt to see the progress you were making, but Holly was too stubborn and would never let him. You were thankful for this, considering the fact that you wanted to know exactly how the end result would be before you showed anyone or made the drastic decision to just shave your head altogether and just starting anew.  
After sitting still for what feels like hours, Holly finally declared it time to rinse out the remaining paste in your hair and reveal the new color for all the world to see. She was continuously reassuring you that it was a great color for you and that it looked great in comparison to your skin tone, but you weren’t so sure about her judgement. When it was all washed out and you got your first look, however, you came to the conclusion that maybe Holly wasn’t just trying to spare your feelings, but was actually being honest.  
You hair now fell just above your shoulders and was a shiny, silver color that looked practically identical to the one on the box. It was quite a long stretch from your original hair color, but honestly, you weren’t too disappointed to see the typical shade gone.  
Holly was even happier when you expressed how much you liked it. She wrapped you up into a large hug, rubbing your back and all, muttering just how great you looked and how everything would be okay soon. Her bright personality and caring attitude almost brought tears in your eyes as you thanked her.  
The final reaction, however, was probably the strangest. It was from Danny, who was very happy to see just how the transformation looked. Holly finally let him come all the way in the bathroom to witness your spectacular change in appearance. When he saw you for the first time, he halted to a stop and looked you up and down, being very quiet for some time. This, naturally, caused you to grow anxious as you wondering exactly what he was thinking.  
He nodded once, declaring that it was “suitable for the next step of the process,” before leaving you and Holly alone.


	5. Chapter Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warning: there are mentions of violence towards the end!

As days went on, the “process” began to sound more and more like a new case in the witness protection program rather than just a simple change in style like you were told. Rather, Danny and Holly appeared to be trying to alter everything about you. It was no longer just your physical appearance that mattered, but rather, it had resorted all the way into how you even spoke when in public. This meant that you had to stand in front of Danny, Brian, Holly, and Ross as you were forced to continuously ramble on while they called out random criticism for you to fix. This was way worse than it sounds considering they would all get in debates about what was actually better and more believable.  
“Try sounding more nasally,” Ross recommended.  
“Ugh, no,” Danny quickly intervened. “She already sounds too squeaky. I can hardly understand what she’s saying!”  
“Well,” you intervened before the argument got too out of hand. “That’s probably good, especially considering the fact that I can’t sound any squeakier without pinching my nose!” You took a deep breath before continuing. “Look, I understand the importance of this all, but don’t you think you guys are getting a little too nit-picky? I mean, I think the English accent will work fine.”  
“Yeah, she’s right,” Holly responded. “The English accent was clearly the most believable.”  
“Way better than her Australian,” Ross laughed.  
“Fine, I suppose you’re right,” Danny murmured. “But what happens if you slip up?”  
“I won’t,” you replied, shaking your head. “And if I do, I’ll just act like Ninja Brian and pretend I’m mute.” At this,Brian gave you a thumbs up and a soft chuckle that was so low you could barely hear it. “Besides, I don’t understand why you guys are worrying so much. It’s not like I’m going to see anyone besides you guys.”  
“You didn’t tell her?” Holly demanded, shooting glares at Danny. You never quite understood the saying “if looks could kill” until this very moment in time. If they did kill, Danny would have died approximately six times by now due to the fire behind Holly’s eyes.  
“It didn’t come up,” Danny whispered, his eyes not meeting yours.  
“Wait, what?” you questioned. “What don’t I know?”  
Holly continued to stare at Danny for a few seconds before realizing that he wasn’t going to answer you. “We’re bringing you into the city today, _____.”  
“All of you?”  
“No,” Danny finally replied. “Just Holly and Ross.”  
After almost two complete days of not having to suffer with a headache, you felt the throbbing sting return in its rightful place in the center of your forehead. You massaged it gently, trying to make it fade away once more, but you knew it was hopeless. The pain and panic had already set in and you knew it would take more than normal to make it depart again. Your breathing began to grow ragged as you stood in front of the four who were carefully eyeing your every move.  
“_____, are you alright?” Holly whispered, reaching her hand out and grabbing yours carefully. She pulled you closer to her and forced you into the small area of couch next to her. “Why don’t you go take a shower and get ready and we’ll leave whenever you’re ready? How does that sound?”  
You simply nodded before standing back up and walking out of the room. As you made your way out, you could head Danny calling for you, but you decided it was best to just ignore it. Working quickly, you grabbed loaned clothes from “your” closet and headed into the bathroom to shower.  
As you ran your hands through your hair, tears once again began to streak down your face. The strong urge to punch something came into mind, but you quickly decided that the tile in the shower would only cause more damage than good. Rather, your clenched your fists and let the hot water run over you as you continued to further question how the hell you ended up in this situation.  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
Holly was sitting in “your room”, waiting for you when you stepped out of “your” bathroom. Thankfully, you were clothed and not just wrapped in a towel when you walked in. She smiled at your presence, clearly trying to make all your former predicaments fade away. You gave a faint smile, just to make her feel better, hoping she wouldn’t question how you were truly feeling.  
“Are you alright?” she murmured.  
Of course.  
“I’m,” you began, taking a deep breath before finishing your statement. “as good as one could be in this situation.”  
She chuckled and nodded her head in response. “You’re doing way better than I thought you would. When Danny first told me about you, I was amazed. You’re strong as hell, _____”  
“I assure you I’m not,” you retorted, plopping down onto the bed next to her. “There have been far too many nights of me crying myself to sleep.”  
“Oh, god,” she laughed. “That’s totally understood.”  
“Danny and Brian are good people,” you said. “I mean, I accused them of kidnapping me and yet they still let me stay here. And for free! They don’t even laugh at all of my weird quirks anymore.”  
“They care about you, _____. I hope you know that.”  
You were beginning to.  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
“Don’t you think you should come with us? For protection or something?” you begged, grabbing onto Danny’s hands.  
“You won’t need it as long as Holly and Ross are around. They’re a lot stronger than they look,” he assured you, a hint of laughter in his voice.  
“Danny, I’m scared,” you whispered, tightening your grasp on his hands, too afraid to let go. “I haven’t been back in the city since this all started.”  
“Which is exactly why you need to go,” Danny whispered. He glanced over your shoulder at Ross and Holly who were waiting patiently in their car. He gave your hands a tight squeeze and pulled you closer. Slowly, he leaned down and pressed his lips against your forehead in a kind and compassionate manner. “Don’t be scared, _____. Worrying will only make it worse. You’re just going shop for necessities and then you’re gonna come right back here where you belong. You can do that, right?”  
“I suppose so,” you whispered.  
“You can,” he assured you. After squeezing your hand one more time, he let go and smiled. “Now hurry. The adventure only continues from here.”  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
Attitude City and all of its inhabitants were far kinder than you originally thought. No one gave you any suspicious glances, beside the few people who actually complimented your hair or your outfit. The workers of any shops the three of you went into were extremely helpful, making sure to do or get whatever it was you needed. All in all, everyone was extraordinarily lovely and generous, causing you only to wonder why in hell you were so afraid to leave in the first place.  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
“Is there anything I can help you with?” a girly voice called out to you. You glanced up from the pink button up shirt you were holding to see a lady, possibly a year or two younger than you, standing next to you, awaiting your response. Her hair was pulled back, but you could still tell the distinct color of black with the blonde streak off to the side. Looking down, you noticed her nametag read “Suzy” and that “she is happy to help”.  
“Um, yes, actually,” you replied in your best English accent, just as rehearsed. “If it’s not too much trouble, could you see if you have this shirt in any other colors?"   
“Yeah, of course!” she cheerily replied. “If you follow me, I’ll show you the others in the back. I’m pretty sure we have purple, red, and blue as well.”  
“That would be great,” you gleamed. “Thank you.”  
“Of course,” she smiled. “It’s my job.”  
Suzy led you to the back and pulled open a small mesh curtain to reveal several stacks of boxes, all overflowing with clothes. She took a step towards the back, beckoning you to follow her. You cautiously took a few steps towards her and glanced around at all of the clothes surrounding you.  
“Here!” Suzy suddenly called out, pulling your attention back towards her. In her hands was a version of the shirt you wanted, but in a deep royal blue. “How’s this?” she asked. You walked towards her and grabbed the shirt in her outstretched hand.  
Before you had any time to respond, however, Suzy slammed your body into the wall behind you. You struggled for air as she stood there, her hand firmly grasped around you’re the base of your throat, making your goal only harder to achieve.  
“What do you know about the T19?” she demanded.  
“I don’t know anything,” you hoarsely responded, trying desperately to somehow catch your breath.  
“I’m not messing around!” she yelled. “Tell me or this is going in your side.” You shifted your eyes to her other hand and noticed that she was holding a shiny knife.  
“I don’t know anything,” you repeated, trying to think of any solution to your current predicament. You couldn’t yell out because you knew Suzy would just stab you immediately and you couldn’t reach your phone in your back pocket without making it far too obvious.  
“Just tell me what you know!” she demanded once more, bringing the knife closer to your stomach.  
“Nothing!” you shouted.  
As soon as the words left your mouth, the knife sliced through you without any difficulty and you were met with immediate searing pain. You didn’t feel the pain for too long, however, because as soon as your blood began to fall, she grabbed you by the head and slammed you into the wall, causing you to black out.  
You realized in that moment, this was the reason you didn’t want go into Attitude City.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, in the T19 is an actual thing, whoops. In all honesty, it was just a random letter and number that came to mind.  
> Anyway, thanks for reading!


	6. Chapter Six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Attention! There are: strong mentions of torture and violence

Time stood still while you were in Samurai Abstinence Patrol’s clutches. When you first woke up, shackled to a rusting metal chair, you decided that you would keep track of the days you were held captive via the day and night cycle. That plan lasted for only a few seconds before you realized that you were being held in a room without any windows. Your next idea was to keep track of how many times you woke up. After the number ticked dangerously close to thirty, however, you talked yourself out of the idea, saying that it wasn’t an accurate system and that you must’ve blacked out a few times involuntarily.  
But either way you looked at the predicament, the main concept remained the same. It was just day after day that Danny wasn’t there to rescue you.  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
The first few times you woke up were the hardest. There was always someone on guard, typically standing off in the corner, shining a bright light in your eyes to keep you conscious. It didn’t work. Due to a sickening combination of malnutrition and dehydration, you continuously drifted off, causing the consequences to be even worse. Often you were awoken by methods of slapping-- whether it be your hand or your face, it hurt all the same.  
When you were finally fed, it hardly did anything to help the situation. It was never substantial enough, and half the time it would only cause you to be sick. More often than not, any food that you ate was regurgitated within the hour. After it happened, the man who was on guard would only grow angrier and take it out on you through various methods. Other times, the food would be laced with some sort of drug, causing you to black out and wake up in a different location. The other rooms still looked the same as the original, yet you could tell you were moved. Probably to hold Danny and Ninja Brian off even longer. This thought made you cry, much to the dismay of your guard, who would only torture you as a means to make you quit.  
It never worked.  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
One time, you were awoken by electrical shock, causing you to scream and writhe in pain as you gained consciousness. You were met by the face of Suzy, who was smirking sadistically as she only made you scream once more. As soon as she had your attention, she began to demand once more about the T19, to which you always replied that you had no idea what it was. Every time you answered this, she would only send more electricity through you, causing you to writhe in pain before blacking out.  
The next day, the same thing happened.  
And the day after that.  
And the day after that…  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
You cried more than ever before.  
You cried for your dad, deeply sad that these were the people who killed him and you couldn’t do anything to stop it. You cried for your mother, who had no idea what was happening to her only child. You cried for Holly and Ross, only imagining how guilty they must have felt. You cried for Ninja Brian out of the fact that you weren’t there to eat any baked goods with him in the morning, as he listened to you ramble on and on about your problems. You cried for Danny. You knew deep down that none of this was his fault, causing you to only cry more for blaming him.  
Most importantly, you cried for Samurai Abstinence Patrol, for thinking that this was the only way to solve their problems.  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
You were actually sad the next few times you work up, questioning whatever unknown force above you as to why you were still alive. Your entire being was sore, both from the torture from Suzy and the unnamed guard, as well as your stomach calling out for some sort of edible substance to stay down.  
As your eyes focused on the room, you spotted not only your unknown guard in the corner, but also Arin Neverbone. Your eyes narrowed and stared at him for many silent moments before you decided what to say.  
“You,” you croaked out, your voice almost unidentifiable. “You did this to me.”  
He turned his direction away from the guard to face you, a sickening smile spread across his face. For the first time in your life, you got a good look at him. A massive, merciless smile that made a shiver run up your spine. He was far taller than you, probably the same height of Danny. He was far more muscular than Danny, though, making you only more scared.  
“You only did this to yourself, _____,” he said, taking a few steps closer to you. “Suzy asked a very simple question of you and you just couldn’t give her the answer she needed. She was only doing her job. It’s not her fault that you couldn’t cooperate.”  
“I don’t know anything about the T19.”  
“Oh, darling,” he chuckled. “We all know you do.” He took a few steps closer to you and leaned over to his face was only a few mere inches away from yours. “Barry!” he barked, not breaking intense eye contact with you. “Bring it in!”  
Behind him, the guard—now known as Barry—disappeared into the shadows, only to reappear holding a large gun that he was actually struggling to hold. You flinched as he slowly brought it closer to you and dropped it in Arin’s hands. Arin thanked him before turning towards you and holding it out to you.  
“What’s the code?” he asked.  
You studied it carefully, taking note of the large keypad and a small green screen asking for a password. You gulped and shook your head. “I don’t know it.”  
“Okay. How about this to refresh your memory?” he asked. “What do you know about Theodore?”  
“Theodore?” you whispered. “How do you know about Theodore?”  
He chuckled slightly. “Oh, how innocent. She doesn’t know about her poor own father.”  
“What the hell do you mean?” you demanded, pulling against the chains that bound your hands to the chair.  
“You think I left him to die in the explosion like all the others?” Arin questioned, his smile only growing by the second. “_____, darling, I watched him slowly bleed out to death before I set the entire laboratory ablaze.”  
“No,” you gasped. “No!”  
He leaned in closer to your ear and chuckled. His hot breath forced another chill down your spine. “His dying word was ‘Theodore’.”  
“I’m going to kill you!” you shouted, pulling at the chains again. They held you back, but you didn’t care. “I’m going to kill you!”  
Arin laughed again and the entire world went black.  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
You were awoken by the sudden feel of water encapsulating your entire body. When you opened your eyes, sure enough, you were being forced underwater. Your mind began running nearly ten times the normal speed as you tried to figure out exactly how to get out of this problem. As you struggled, however, you noticed something out of the corner of your eye. When you turned you were faced with another one of your biggest fears—sharks.  
Only a few feet away from you in the large pool of water were gigantic sharks, headed straight towards you. As you tried to swim away, you noticed the chains around your feet, holding you in the same position. You were done for.  
You felt your lungs begin to pool with water as you felt yourself drowning. You struggled to breath for air, but you knew it was no use. This was how you were going to die.  
The sharks turned around and almost seem to lock eyes with you. You fought against the chains even more, trying with all of your might to be freed from this watery hell. Once again, you were only met with failure.  
As you closed your eyes to accept death—either from the sharks or of drowning, you weren’t sure—when you faintly heard the splash! of the water followed by arms grabbing you. They brutally shook you, trying to keep you awake, but it felt like it was no use. You felt too weak to even open your eyes. The person dove down lower and you felt them slowly begin to unlock the chains. Within seconds, they were pulling your dead weight upwards towards the surface.  
Water spewed out of your lungs as you hit the ground and you felt hands beating against your chest in order for you to spit it all out. Finally, you were able to open your eyes and face your savior. To no surprise, you were staring face to face with Danny Sexbang, who had once again saved your life from Samurai Abstinence Patrol.  
“You saved me,” you muttered, reaching your hand up to his face like you did the very first time he rescued you. He smiled gratefully at you, his eyes welling up in tears. He nodded softly, taking hold of your hand and giving it a tight squeeze.  
“Not so fast!” Looking to your left you noticed Arin Neverbone making his way towards you and Danny, a gun armed and ready. “Stand up.”  
“Arin,” Danny said in a warning tone.  
“Stand up!” he demanded once more.  
Slowly, the two of you did, your hands up in the air and in sight. Arin smirked and pointed the gun directly at Danny’s head.  
“No!” you yelled, taking a few steps forward. “Don’t hurt him!”  
“Then tell me the passcode, dammit!”  
“_____, no,” you heard Danny call out.  
You shook your head in defiance. “Shut up.”  
“_____!” he called out again.  
“I said shut up!” you yelled again, taking another step closer to Arin. “Just let me think.”  
You stood in between the two, the gun being pointed to you now, but you didn’t care. Your mind was too busy racing, trying to think of anything the passcode to the gun could be. Every interaction you’d ever had with your dad was playing through your head as you tried to solve this puzzle.  
Theodore.  
“I’ve got it,” you whispered. “I know the code.”  
“_____! Don’t!” Danny yelled again. He took a step forward and reached out towards you, but you quickly slipped out of his grasp. “You can’t.”  
“Theodore was my imaginary friend as a kid,” you said, ignoring Danny. “My dad and I used to create wild stories for him to go on.”  
“Just tell me the password!” Arin shouted. He reached out and grabbed your arm, pulling you closer to him. The gun was once again locked on Danny and you felt your heartbeat increase. “Tell me the damn code or he dies.”  
“Promise not to hurt him!” you cried out. “I’ll tell you the code as long as you don’t hurt him!”  
“Aw, how sweet,” Arin replied. “You think begging me with protect him?”  
You looked back at Danny who was trying his hardest to convince you not to give Arin and SAP the code. It was no use though. You couldn’t let him die.  
“If you don’t,” you threatened. “I’ll type in the wrong code, most likely causing us the gun and myself to blow to pieces. Then you would never have another chance at the code.”  
“You wouldn’t,” Arin warned, his eyebrows furrowing.  
“Oh, I would,” you replied. “Now swear not to hurt him.” Arin reluctantly swore, knowing you meant business and beckoned someone to bring the gun over to you. You took a deep breath before continuing. “Theodore had 19 fish. Thus, the T19. His 19th and favorite fish was named Stella. The password is Stella.”  
“_____!” Danny called out once again. “You can’t do this! Don’t do this!” he begged.  
“I have to,” you whispered.  
Taking a step towards the threatening gun, you carefully imputed the six letters. The screen flashed green and a strange, mechanic voice rang out, expressing that the password was correct. Arin quickly shoved you to the side, causing you to fall over and collide with the ground.  
Everything happened at once.  
The metal doors to the room quickly flew open and police came running though at the exact same time that Arin picked up the T19 and shot Danny.


	7. Chapter Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alternately called: Your Life Over Mine

The screaming didn’t stop just because you ordered it to.  
Neither did the pain.  
You hoped that you were dreaming. You’d wake up in your bed back in your mother’s house, weeks before you even left for Attitude City. That was the only reasonable explanation as to what was happening, right?  
But it wasn’t a dream. And you were far too aware of that.  
Rather, you were just paralyzed on the ground, too afraid to move and only reignite the pain that was currently erupting in your body. But as you looked towards Danny, who had been knocked onto the ground due to the blow of Arin’s combined attack with the T19, something inside of you sparked.  
Before you knew it, your arms were pushing your body weight up and your knees were skidding across the ground as you crawled towards his limp body. You heard your voice call over all the noise for an ambulance or for help or just anything to help Danny. People made their way towards you, but you only pushed them towards Danny, making sure that he was okay first.  
“_____,” you heard Danny choke out. Looking up, you realized you were only a few feet away now. Just a few more seconds of pain before you collapse in his arms. “_____,” he called out again.  
The pure desperation in his voice caused your senses to go into overdrive. You pushed yourself forward, trying desperately to be there for Danny. Your muscles was burning and you felt the need to vomit, but all that would have to wait.  
You had to be there for him.  
Finally, just as your legs gave out, you managed to collapse right next to him. You grabbed his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze, letting him know that you were with him and that you wouldn’t dare leave his side. He, thankfully, returned the gesture.  
“Are you okay?” he whispered, only loud enough for you to hear him.  
“I’ll be okay,” you replied, giving his hand another squeeze. “How about you?”  
“Never better,” he coarsely chuckled. “It doesn’t hurt, _____. Is that normal?”  
“I don’t know, Danny.”  
“I don’t feel like I’m dying,” Danny replied, his tone finally serious again. “I feel fine.”  
“Good,” you smiled. “Because there is no way in hell that I’m going to let you die.”  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
And, thankfully, you didn’t have to.  
Help finally came for the two of you and you were both airlifted to the nearest hospital. Thankfully, the doctors never separated the two of you, no matter what. This seemed to ease any worries either of you had.  
Turns out, Danny was actually going to be fine. Although the T19 looked like it did terrible damage, nothing actually happened. With the exception of knocking him over, that is. There was no permanent damage that would ever stop him from living his day-to-day life. To be sure of this, the doctors made him stay overnight for examination, but you had a suspicion that this was just because he didn’t want to let you out of his sight any more than necessary.  
You, on the other hand, were in way worse condition. After being pricked and prodded by all sorts of tools, the doctor simply declared that there was no way you would be leaving the hospital for at least a week. Turns out, you were severely dehydrated and malnourished, had signs of minor concussion and a few broken ribs, as well as pneumonia due to the drowning attempt.  
Although it was never discussed around you, you overheard whispers from the doctors, who were also concerned about your mental health. They were seriously worried that you would suffer from severe PTSD and perhaps even fall into depression. Due to this, you were met with the terribly hard task of trying to hide any dreams you had. Once again, your overactive imagination was nothing but a curse, plaguing you with the images of the torture you faced just days before. A few times, when Danny noticed your continuous thrashing and talking in your sleep, he would wake you and slide into the small, uncomfortable hospital bed with you.  
“So you know you aren’t alone,” he would always reason before drifting back off to sleep.  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
One particular night in the hospital—the fourth, you think—neither you nor Danny could fall asleep. Rather, the two of you just laid in your bed, face to face, completely silent, just hoping that the feeling of sleep would overcome you.  
After minutes of utter silence, Danny opened his mouth, trying to think of what to say, before closing it again.  
“What is it?” you whispered, now curious with what ideas were running through his mind. “Did you mean what you said?” he whispered.  
“What I said when?”  
“Back at the warehouse.”  
“Danny, I said a lot of things back there. You need to narrow it down.”  
“What you said about the gun,” he replied, his voice barely above a whisper. “You said that you would enter in the wrong code and make the thing explode if Arin didn’t promise not to hurt me.”  
“Yeah, I know, it was stupid of me to think that I could trust him like that.”  
“No, not that,” Danny corrected himself. “Did you actually mean that? Would you have purposely entered in the wrong code?”  
“Of course I meant that, Danny. I’d do it in a heartbeat.”  
“Why?”  
“Your life over mine. Any day of the week.”  
“Why on earth would you even think that?” he asked. Even in the dark, you noticed his furrowed brow and crinkled forehead.  
“Because you help people,” you replied with a shrug. “It’s what you do. You know, you’re kind of a superhero.”  
“Not anymore,” he murmured.  
I paused before replying, his words playing over and over in your head. “Why do you say that?” you whispered.  
“Look, _____, it’s nothing. Don’t worry about it.”  
He tried to turn over so he would no longer have to see your face, but due to the close quarters of your hospital bed, he couldn’t do as desired. Rather, he just sighed and laid on his back, still remaining quiet.  
“Danny, what do you mean by that?” you asked, not letting him get away that easily.  
He took a deep breath before rolling back over to face you. “Because, _____, I don’t have powers anymore. Arin took them away when he shot me with the T19.”

In the silence that fell over the two of you, you could practically hear his heart breaking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about how short it is. I just felt like it was a good place to end the chapter. Thank you for reading and for all the reactions I got on the last chapter. Xoxo


	8. Chapter Eight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sort of boring, yet still necessary plot. Hope you enjoy!

The doctors finally set you free after eight days of being kept under constant surveillance. For the first time in two weeks, you were actually able to step foot on the literal ground of Attitude City and feel the sunlight touch your skin once more. Prior to being discharged from the hospital, Danny finally admitted that you were in Samurai Abstinence Patrol’s clutches for six continuous days while he looked for you. You were also informed that your kidnappers had all been arrested and wouldn’t be seeing the light of day for many, many years to come.   
Everything felt different now. You had an altered perspective on Attitude City and all that was in it now. It was no longer had the pure, undiluted feeling that you personified it with when you first moved. Rather, you mind simply tainted it was all of the bad feelings and emotions that you felt in the span of the last two weeks.   
As always, Danny seemingly noticed this, and hooked his hand in yours, as well as placing a gentle kiss on the top of your head. You knew that he was struggling too.   
The night that he told you that Arin took away all of the powers he once had, you weren’t sure how to react. You tried to tell him that you understood his pain, but you knew that he didn’t need to hear a lie like that at the moment. The two of you spent most of that night simply staring at each other, thinking of things to say to make the other laugh.   
Nothing came to mind.   
~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
Ross and Holly made sure to throw you and Danny a surprise party when you were discharged. Sure, it was only the five of you there, playing video games and drinking straight out of a bottle of wine, but it was a party nevertheless. It combined all of your favorite things about the couple—the mindless banter, the screaming, the terrible jokes. It was as if nothing had ever changed.   
Later that night, when you and Holly were washing a few dishes, she finally asked a question that you were sure she had been thinking about for ages.   
“So how are you really?”   
You took a deep breath before continuing, only keeping your eyes locked on the dirty dish that you were scrubbing. “I’ve been better. I’ve been worse.”   
“That makes sense,” she replied, still drying the same dish that she had been for the past five minutes. “Are you in any pain still?”   
You shook your head and moved onto the next dish to clean. “Only occasionally. I still get headaches, but I did even before all of this happened. And my sides hurt, due to the ribs, you know? But I mean, other than that, nothing too terrible.”   
“And your flinching?” she asked.   
“My what?”   
“Flinching. You now flinch whenever there is a loud noise of any sort.”   
“Do I really do that?” She nodded. “Wow, I suppose I just never noticed. Is it bad?”   
Almost as if she timed it perfectly to test my theory, the plate that Holly had been drying slipped out of her hand and tumbled to the ground. A small, short scream left your mouth and you became aware of your involuntarily flinch. Holly looked over at you, extremely apologetic for the accident, but you were too busy trying to calm for abnormal breathing and heartbeat. After a few seconds of absolute silence, Danny came running in and slid his way over to you, pulling you into a hug.   
“Are you alright?”   
“Yeah,” you replied, hugging him back, happy to feel safe in his arms. “We just dropped a plate.”   
“I’m sorry, Danny,” Holly replied. “It just slipped out of my hand. You know how clumsy I can be.”   
“No, it’s okay, Holly. I’ll get the broom and clean up. You two can go sit down.”   
“Actually, Danny, Ross and I should get going. You two just returned home and we’ve probably overstayed our visit already. I’m really sorry about the plate.”   
“Okay, darling,” Danny replied, wrapping her up in a hug. “Be safe.”   
She nodded and made her way over to me, hugging me sympathetically. “I’m sorry.”   
As you stood in her grasp, you weren’t entirely sure what she was sorry for anymore—the plate or your entire kidnapping.   
~ ~ ~ ~ ~   
Your mind was racing as you were resting in bed that evening. Continuous thoughts plagued your mind, forcing you to question your newfound flinch. Since Holly mentioned it, you noticed that you flinched fifty-four more times. Anytime the noise became a decibel louder than you liked, your neck immediately flew to the left, almost as if it was a natural instinct now. There was a new pain in your neck that wasn’t there before, presumably due to your flinching, but you tried to ignore it.   
Suddenly, as you laid there, your wooden door squeaked out, allowing Danny to take a step in. He looked ragged; his hair was bushier and askew and his clothes were wrinkled, causing you to guess that he had been rolling around in his bed, trying to find peace in sleep, much like you.   
“_____,” he called out. You pushed yourself up by your elbows to face him. “I couldn’t sleep.”   
“Neither can I,” you admitted with a sigh. Pushing back your sheets, you made enough room for him to lay beside you. “Come on.”   
He gave you a gentle smile and gladly accepted your request. Padding his way through your room, he quickly made his way over to you and engulfed himself in the ridiculous amount of sheets and blankets that you typically sleep in.   
“Why couldn’t you sleep?” you asked, once you were both situated. Truth be told, you two were very cramped together, somehow feeling even closer in this bed than when you did in your hospital bed. You didn’t mind, however. It was nice to have someone so close to you. It made you feel safe.   
Danny let out a deep breath before answering. “Too many things on my mind, I suppose. You know how it is nowadays.”   
“You know, Danny,” you whispered. “I never really apologized for this entire fiasco.”   
“_____, please don’t.”   
“No, Danny, I need to. You have done everything for me. I can’t just pretend that hasn’t happened.”   
“Please, _____,” he begged. “Not tonight.”   
“Is everything okay?” you murmured, leaning a little closer to him as though someone may overhear you.   
He closed his eyes and remained quiet for a minute, evidently deep in thought. Slowly, he reached his hand out and gently caressed the side of your face like you had done to him so many times before.   
“I thought I lost you,” he said. “I thought you were gone for good, _____.”   
“Danny,” you replied, grabbing his hand from your face and holding it firmly in your hands. “You will never lose me.”   
“_____, you don’t understand. You looked so broken when we found you. I didn’t think you were going to make it.”   
You left out a tiny gasp, surprised to hear something like that from him. Your heart was essentially breaking as you held on tighter to his hand. Bringing it up to your lips, you left a small, gentle kiss on his humongous palms.   
“You will never lose me,” you repeated. “Never.”   
~ ~ ~ ~ ~   
The next morning you were awoken by angry stomping and the sound of your door being flung wide open. As your eyes slowly focused on what was in front of you, Ninja Brian’s angry face became much clearer in front of you. You tried to sit up, but you were held down by a weight pressing down on your stomach. Looking down, you noticed a slumbering Danny, still snoring softly. Ninja Brian pounded his foot on the ground once more, finally causing Danny to stir awake. After a few more moments, Danny rolled over to where he faced you and flashed a cheeky grin. You giggled softly as you brushed his mane out of his face, allowing him to actually see what was in front of him.   
“What was all that noise?” he asked, clearly not noticing the angry ninja standing opposite of him. Rather than responding, you just pointed. As he rolled over and faced Ninja Brian, he let out mumbled curse under his breath. “Ninja Brian, what are you doing in here?”   
Clearly angry to the response he had been given, Ninja Brian threw a thin, golden envelope at the two of you before stomping back out of the room, not even bothering to try and close the door behind him. You picked up the envelope from beside your feet and laid back on your pillow to open it. As you began to tear it open, you felt Danny replace his head on your stomach once again, causing you to giggle, thus making him bob up and down with each breath.   
“What is it?” Danny asked as he resituated himself.   
Careful not to rip the envelope too terribly, you pulled it open and retrieved the single card left inside of it. It was ornately decorated, written on a white card, designed in gold lettering to match the envelope. After clearing your throat a few times, you read the card aloud.   
“Due to your courageous bravery when it came to fighting and defeating the notorious Samurai Abstinence Patrol, we invite the three of you-- _____, Danny Sexbang, and Ninja Brian—to attend a governor’s ball in your honor. We would like to thank you for your continuous bravery that has saved our city on multiple occasions.”   
“A governor’s ball?” Danny asked, sitting up. “When is it?”   
You scanned the invitation once more before finding the answer.   
“In two days.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah yes, a governor's ball. Or rather, my excuse to put Danny Sexbang in a nice tux. 
> 
> Thank you for reading! Until next time!


	9. Chapter Nine

Two days wasn’t enough time for you to pull yourself together, much less prepare for a governor’s ball thrown in your honor. If it were in any other circumstances, truth be told, two days may have been enough time. However, two days now wouldn’t even be enough to properly shower and wash away all of the dirt and grime from the past few weeks—both the physical and emotional.   
“Why do people even care anyway?” you asked one day as Danny placed down another stack of envelopes, all addressed to you. When word got around to Attitude City that there was a ball being throne partly in your favor, everyone seemed to go mad. You were continuously being bombarded with letters from local businesses offering you the best deal for dresses, manicures, hair, etc.   
“Because we’re Ninja Sex Party. We’re kind of a big deal around here,” he replied, reaching for a chocolate fudge brownie that you had just finished baking.   
“Okay, that’s understandable, I suppose. But why do they care about me?”   
“_____, you do realize that you are responsible for the imprisonment of Samurai Abstinence Patrol? You know, like, the biggest threat that Attitude City has ever known.”   
“I didn’t capture them, though,” you reasoned. “Rather I was captured by them. Nothing too heroic there, hmm?”   
“But since you were captured, it allowed us to find them and imprison them for good,” Danny said. He took a seat across from you and slid a brownie your way. You stared at it judgmentally before ripping off a slightly burnt corner and tossing it in your mouth.   
“This is all my fault,” you sighed. “It’s my fault that this happened to you.”   
You two had never discussed it again, but after he told you the truth about the T19, you realized that no one—not even Ninja Brian—knew that he was left powerless and scared. He glanced down and shook his head.   
“You never would’ve known.”   
“But I should’ve known that Arin would’ve hit you with it. Promise or not.”   
“You think best of people, _____. It’s not a bad thing,” he smile solemnly, meeting your eyes once more. “It’s one of the things I love about you.”   
Your heart fluttered softly in your chest, but you ignored it. You tried to reason that it was just nerves, but you knew deep down that it wasn’t.   
“Besides the brownies, right?” you joked, trying to forget about the pounding of your heart and the heat rising to your cheeks. It didn’t work, however. Danny leaned over the table and softly pinched one of your hot cheeks, laughing softly to himself.   
“Besides the brownies,” he agreed.   
~ ~ ~ ~ ~   
You awoke to your customary middle day nap to the sound of Holly, Ross, and Danny running through the house. Sitting up in your bed and rubbing your eyes, you noticed a number of large dress bags hanging from your closet. You quickly jumped out of bed and scurried towards one. As you unzipped the bag, a brightly colored dress came emerging. The hot pink, tulle mess fell into your arms and you had no other choice but to stand there and figure out how to fix this problem. Glancing around your room once more, you noticed that there were also boxes of shoes stacked up next to your adjoining bathroom door, as well as jewelry sitting on your nightstand.   
You took a deep breath before calling out for Holly, knowing that she would be able to answer any question you had about the state of your room. Finally, the pitter patter of footsteps came closer and Holly, Danny, and Ross entered your room.   
“Oh, I was hoping you wouldn’t open that one…” Holly whispered when she spotted the “dress” in your arms.   
“What is all of this?” you asked, allowing Danny to help you put the dress back in its appropriate bag.   
“Dresses,” Holly replied. “They’re for you.”   
“The governor’s wife sent them over,” Ross said. “She figured you wouldn’t have anything appropriate to wear after this whole fiasco.”   
“She sent this stuff for me?” you questioned, looking around at everything that was cluttering your room. You counted approximately thirty-two dresses, nineteen pairs of shoes, seven necklaces, eleven bracelets, and eight rings.   
“Well, one of these will be for me too,” Holly interjected with a smile. “But they’re mostly with you in mind.”   
“The ball’s tonight, _____. You need to find what you want to wear right now. You know, in case nothing works out as planned.”   
“Okay,” you replied. “As long as I don’t have to try that pink monstrosity on.”   
~ ~ ~ ~ ~   
Trying on dresses wasn’t the worst thing in the world, but as of now, it was getting up there on the list. You were continuously being sucked and tucked and pricked and pinned by the array of dresses that had been sent for you. There were dresses of almost every color spectrum—reds, pinks, purples, blues, greens, blacks, and even a few oranges and yellows. The list of fabrics was just as long, if not longer—silks, feathers, beads, lace, polyester, leather, wool, and on and on and on. You had gone through almost all of them, and if anything, you were only more confused than before you started.   
Once again, Ross, Ninja Brian, and Danny were being your judges as both you and Holly tried on outfits. Each time you squeezed into a dress, you would have to walk out of the bathroom to meet the boys and they would rate you on how exactly it worked or looked. Sometimes, as much as Holly tried, she couldn’t even get you to leave the sanctuary of your bathroom to show the “judges”. They were just that bad.   
You were on dress number twenty-seven when you found the one you truly loved. Holly had been done with her decision for almost an hour now, but was still being patient when it came to helping you in and out of all the dresses. The twenty-seventh dress was a gorgeous red color and made of silk. When Holly lifted it out of the bag, you realized that it was nothing you would ever wear before, but as of now, it seemed perfect. The silk dress was strapless with a bodice that you could only describe as cat-ear shaped. The skirt was pleated to give it a more “extravagant” look, as Holly read from a card that the governor’s wife had provided with a detailed description of each item she sent. The very bottom of the dress was your favorite part, however. The hemline wasn’t typical as you expected. Rather, the front of the dress just below the knee and the back flowed down to the ground in a train.   
“That’s the one, huh?” Holly asked, hinting at the face you were making. You nodded and she smiled in return. “Well, let’s put it on!”   
She quickly helped you into the red dress, which, much to your relief, fit like a glove. You spun around to face the mirror and couldn’t help but smile greatly at your reaction. Glancing over at Holly, you noticed that she had the same smile plastered on her face before she pulled you into a deep hug. She softly rubbed your back softly, only making you both tear up.   
Your sentimental moment was tainted by a sharp knock on the door and a shout from the other side.   
“Are you two okay in there?” Ross called. “We hear crying!”   
Holly reluctantly let go of you and peeked her head through the door, not letting it open all the way to expose your newfound dress.   
“We found the one,” Holly replied. You could practically hear the smile in her voice. “You three will be able to see it later tonight when we leave.”   
~ ~ ~ ~ ~   
Holly set to work almost immediately. She shooed you off into the shower in the other bathroom in order to set out everything for you two to prepare. She practically refused to talk to you until after you showered and were declared clean. When you adventured back into your personal bathroom, you noticed that it was no longer just a bathroom. Rather, it now seemed to double as an entire hair salon.   
Hair curlers, straighteners, sprays, pins, and clips seemed to litter the entire left half of the counter. The right half was reserved for makeup products-- blushes, powders, bronzers, lipsticks, liners, etc. Holly stood back, behind a chair she had set out for you, shining brightly at her layout. You were quickly ushered to your chair, where you gladly sat down and waited for Holly to do her magic.   
Within the hour, your hair was now curled to perfection and fell just above your shoulder. You lips had been painted a bright red to match your dress of choice and she had donned your eyes in a silver powder to match that of your hair. Looking in the mirror, you weren’t even one hundred percent sure that you were still, well, you…   
“_____? Are you and Holly almost ready?” Danny called from your bedroom. “We need to get going soon.”   
You quickly slipped into the red dress that you’d been thinking about since you took it off and felt instantly at home with it. Opening the door, you presented yourself to him, secretly hoping he would like it. He was standing beside your bed, fulling dressed in a sharp, fitted black tux that seemed like it was designed with him entirely in mind. His eyes met yours as you emerged from the doorway and his jaw slowly dropped.   
“So, uh, do you like it?” you asked, scratching the back of your neck out of habit.   
“_____,” he began, but stopped shortly.   
“Hmm?” you questioned, egging him to continue.   
“You look stunning,” he finished. You gave a deep sigh of relief, thankful that he felt that way.   
He took a few steps closer to you, grabbing your hand and gently pulling you closer to him. As soon as he did this, you felt your breath get caught in your throat. Your eyes connected and you prayed that he understood that you wanted him to continue with whatever it was he had planned.   
Almost as though he read your mind, he began to gently caress your face and lean in. You closed your eyes, deciding to live in the moment rather than feeling anxious about everything running through your head.   
“Hey, guys! Are you almost done? We really need to get going!” Ross yelled and he flung open your bedroom door and marched in. Your eyes flew open and Dan took a step back, trying to hide any evidence of what had just happened—or what was going to happen, rather. “Oh, crap. I’m sorry. I’ll just… go…”   
“Goddammit, Ross,” Danny murmured under his breath while you tried to calm yourself down after such a close encounter.   
Goddammit, Ross was right...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a FYI, the dress that you're wearing can be found online if you want to catch a glimpse.   
> http://www.neimanmarcus.com/Zac-Posen-Strapless-Cat-Ear-Bodice-High-Low-Gown-Grenadine/prod179380655/p.prod?ecid=NMAP_gowns_desktop
> 
> Thanks for reading and Happy (almost) American Thanksgiving!


	10. Chapter Ten

Despite the fact that you were told via invitation that this ball was thrown partly for you, you were in no way mentally prepared for the onslaught of photographers and journalists that came flying to the car as you, Danny, and Ninja Brian stepped out. You heard your name being called in several different directions, but you could never see be who due to the ridiculous amount of blinding flashes coming from the cameras, all aimed at you. Glancing to your side, you noticed that neither Danny nor Brian was in no way disturbed by this ambush of slightly unwelcomed visitors. Rather, Danny was shaking hands with some of the reporters and smiling for pictures. Even Ninja Brian seemed comfortable amongst the chaos, just standing alongside Danny, remaining as vague as always. Almost realizing your discomfort, Danny slid his right arm firmly around your waist and pulled you closer. The reporter he was speaking to, glanced down at the location of his hand, shrugged it off, and continued rattling off questions about their grand acts of heroism.   
“And, _____,” the petite report asked, calling your attention back to the matters at hand. “What is it like knowing these two?”   
“It’s the best thing in my life,” you replied, glancing over at the two of them. Even though it was shielded by his mask, you knew that Brian was gleaming just as brightly as Danny. “I’m eternally thankful to have these two in my life.”   
“And I, you,” Danny whispered, rubbing your back peacefully and pressing a soft kiss to the top of your head. You blushed, well aware of the amount of people taking both notes and pictures on your every move, but he didn’t seem to care. “I’m terribly sorry, but we really need to head indoors before it gets too cold out here,” he told the reporter.   
“Oh, of course!” she replied, holding her hand out for you all to shake. “Thank you for speaking with me.”   
“Thank you,” Danny replied with a smile before leading you into the venue.   
The inside of the ballroom was even more extravagant than that of the outside. You weren’t sure exactly what you were expecting, but it sure as hell wasn’t what you witnessed. Your eyes immediately found their way towards a large, brightly colored banner that thanks you, Danny, and Ninja Brian for all you’ve done. Underneath it was the dance floor which was already littered with people swaying and gliding to the music pouring through the loudspeakers. People of all ages were laughing and didn’t seem to have a care in the world, causing you to beam brightly. The women’s dresses fluttered around them as they swirled, causing them to look almost like a vortex of color that could carry you away.   
In the midst of all the excitement, you hardly even heard someone call out your name. You forced your line of sight away from the magnificent view in front of you to see yourself face to face with the governor’s wife, Mrs. Anderson. She was wearing a golden floor length gown and a bright smile. Her hand was outstretched to shake yours, which you quickly did with gratitude.   
“You look positively wonderful, _____.”   
“Thank you very much, Mrs. Anderson,” you blushed. “You look stunning in this gown.”   
“Well thank you, darling,” she beamed with delight. “It’s so lovely to see that the three of you could make it.”   
Danny reached his hand out to shake hers. “We wouldn’t miss it for the world. Thank you for having us.”   
“Thank you for saving the city,” she laughed. “My husband and I can finally breathe normally again!” You grinned softly as the governor’s wife continued to laugh and joke, realizing that you were partially responsible for her glee. “Oh! And, ____, I’m very excited to hear your speech!”  
“My what?” you replied, brows furrowed. Talk of a speech was never discussed with you, thus causing the feeling of caution to once again stir in the pit of your stomach.   
“The speech you’re supposed to deliver. You know, the one about your experience with Samurai Abstinence Patrol and Ninja Sex Party?” she asked. Noticing the blank look on your face, she continued, “You don’t know what I’m talking about, do you?”   
“Not really,” you replied, biting your lip warily. “Umm, but if you give some time, I’m sure I can come up with something…”   
“You were supposed to deliver it in twenty minutes,” Mrs. Anderson answered, doubt laced in her voice.   
“A lot can happen in twenty minutes,” you said with a fake smile plastered on your face.   
Now it was time to find out if this was one of them.   
~ ~ ~ ~ ~   
“Considering I wasn’t aware of this event until two days ago, I surely didn’t know I was asked to give a speech until about twenty minutes ago. Due to these circumstances, I pray that you can bear with me for the duration of this.  
“First of all, I would like to thank you all for attending. It mean a lot to both me and Ninja Sex Party that you would take time out of your hectic schedules to attend,” you paused for a second to be met with grateful smiles from all those watching you behind the podium. Danny and Ninja Brian, along with Holly and Ross who just arrived, were standing near the front to cheer you on. You locked eyes with Danny and he gave you a big thumbs up before you continued onward. Looking down at the napkins you had scurried notes on in the past twenty minutes, you found your place and resumed.  
“As you may know, this elaborate event is taking place in celebration of Samurai Abstinence Patrol’s defeat, which was made possible by Danny Sexbang and Ninja Brian. Thanks to them, I am also alive and well enough to stand here in front of you. In fact, they have saved me on multiple occasions, for which I am forever in their debt.   
“Danny and I originally met on my first day here in Attitude City. After hours of unpacking, I decided to take a break and adventure around the new city I was referring to as home. This simple break went bad, however. Not only was I almost shot, but I was almost hit by a car. If it wasn’t for Danny pushing me out of the way, there’s a vast chance I would be dead. After this attack, Danny and Brian offered to take me under their wing to care for me. The three of us soon figured out that SAP was after me, but the reason was unknown for many stressful weeks to come. I was forced to undergo a complete change of character in order to disguise myself in the midst of the citizens here in Attitude City. That’s how I now have silver hair and can speak in a very eloquent English accent for hours at a time.   
“That, sadly, wasn’t enough to stop the forces of Samurai Abstinence Patrol. As you may be aware, I was kidnapped and held hostage for six days. These six days…” you began, but stopped shortly after. Glancing back out at the crowd, you once again locked eyes with Danny who gave you a gentle smile as a sign to continue. You swallowed the newly forming lump in your throat and took a deep breath before continuing. “These six days were absolutely the hardest days of my life. I will save you the gruesome details, but let’s just say that they were positively hell on earth. But, there was a light at the end of the tunnel, because after six days, I was once again rescued by the two men I call my best friends.   
“I am telling you this because they are the ones truly responsible for the imprisonment of Samurai Abstinence Patrol. If I wasn’t almost hit by that crappy car on that Wednesday morning, I never would’ve met Ninja Sex Party. If I never met these two, I have absolutely no idea as to where I would be. Frankly, I don’t want to think about it because it’s what keeps me up at night, but I thank God or fate or whatever that Danny Sexbang and Ninja Brian were around to save me.   
The tears were streaming down you face now, ruining the notes you took on the napkin, but you didn’t care anymore. “I now ask you to raise a toast in honor of Ninja Sex Party.” You looked over your shoulder to see the governor, Mr. Anderson, bringing forth a glass flute full of bubbling champagne for you to continue the celebration. Before he handed it to you, he enveloped you in a long hug, softly whispering his gratitude. You smiled with delight, once again wiping your eyes, and returned to your podium.   
“To Ninja Sex Party—the band of superheroes with an awfully ridiculous name. Thank you for your service and continuing to stick around with Attitude City.”   
“To Ninja Sex Party!” the crowd chorused, all taking a swig of champagne with you.   
~ ~ ~ ~ ~   
“That was quite a speech you gave, _____,” you heard a voice call out.   
Shifting your eyes from your hands that you were washing under the cool water, you looked into the mirror and locked eyes with a complete stranger. She was standing behind you, smiling. You shut off the water in order to catch a better glimpse of the woman. She was wearing a fitted black dress that fell just past her kneecaps. It was particularly bland except for the added jewels on her shoulders. Her long ginger hair was kept neatly in a ponytail, not allowing even a single strand out of place.   
“Thank you,” you replied, reaching for the hand towel to dry off your dripping hands.   
“I know, the bathroom is a very odd place for an introduction, but when I saw you, I knew I just had to speak to you,” she reasoned. “I’m Katherine Moore. I work for ‘We’re all Booked Up’ publishing.”   
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” you replied shaking her hand.   
“Well, as I said, you gave an amazing speech. You truly have a way with words.”   
“Oh, thank you.”   
“In fact,” Katherine continued. “You have such a way with words that my boss and I were wondering if you would possibly want to team up with us in order to write a retelling of your adventures in Attitude City. You know, one with more detail that would show the real struggle that you went through and how you came out the other end, still fighting.”   
“Seriously?” you asked, incredibly shocked. “People are interested in this?”   
“Absolutely! People all over the city are chatting about your bravery.”  
“Oh, wow…”   
“I mean, you don’t have to give us an answer now, but I just wanted to go ahead and offer. Just in case you’re up for it,” Katherine replied. She quickly pulled out a small business card from her purse and handed it to you. “Give us a call if you want to talk more about it.”   
~ ~ ~ ~ ~   
“Alright, Danny,” you said when you found him in the middle of the dance floor with Ross and Holly. “I’m about to fall asleep standing up. It’s time for me to head home.”   
“One more dance,” he bargained, grabbing your hand and pulling you close.   
“I can’t feel my feet,” you replied.   
“Well, I’m just going to have to make sure you don’t fall, won’t I?” he laughed.   
“One dance,” you gave in. “And then I’m out of here.”   
It was already well into the evening and to state that you were dead on your feet would be an understatement. Danny was honestly the only thing holding you up, making you wonder as to if your legs were even attached to your body anymore. He had one hand around your waist and the other clasped in yours, guiding you through the motions of “dancing”. Knowing that you were practically unconscious, he was only swaying you back and forth, spinning you around only occasionally.   
“Did you have fun?” he asked.   
“There are apparently a lot of people interested in talking to me,” you murmured, your words slightly slurred due to sleepiness. “Continuously thanking me and blabbing on about other things. I checked out a lot tonight, Danny.”   
“I know exactly what you mean, darling,” he replied as he spun you around again. “You did save a city, however.” You just grunted in response. “Don’t give me that. You did help.”   
“Being a hostage isn’t helping fight crime, Danny Boy,” you tried to reason.   
“You’re too tired to argue right now,” he replied, chuckling slightly. “Let’s get you to the car, okay?”   
You were eternally thankful that he offered to walk you to the car because at that moment you weren’t entirely sure that you would be able to make the long walk by yourself. Together, the two of you fought through the throng of people on the dance floor and made it outside into the cold air.   
“Be sure to text me when you get home,” Danny said as he pulled open the car door for you. You nodded. “Okay, be safe.”   
“Quit worrying about me. Go back inside and have fun, okay?”   
“Yeah, yeah, I will,” he replied with a smile.   
He was still standing there when the car rounded the corner.   
~ ~ ~ ~ ~   
As you tried to go to sleep later that night, you discovered that no matter how tired you were, you mind was still running far too quickly for you to even attempt to fall asleep. You were continuously having flashbacks of all the people you met and conversations you had tonight. When you closed your eyes, you were met with their smiling faces, which, for some unknown reason only made you feel more uneasy. On any other day like this, you would simply sneak into Danny’s beds and you two would talk until you fell asleep. However, he still wasn’t home.   
Taking matters into your own hands, you quickly slipped out of your bed and padded your way down the hallway and into his room. His bed was still as he left it— the duvet halfway on the floor and the sheets wrinkled almost beyond repair due to is inability to stay in the same position while sleeping.   
You gingerly sat down at the very end of the bed and wrapped your arms around your legs, bringing them close to your chest. You almost felt immediately at home.   
At least, you did until you heard footsteps practically running down the hall. Sitting up, you figured it was just Danny or perhaps Ninja Brian chasing after him.   
Or you did until you heard a feminine giggle.   
As the two came barreling through the door, you immediately realized exactly what was happening at that moment. Danny and some blonde were rather intensely making out, too caught up in the moment to even notice your existence. The first couple of Danny’s shirt buttons were already undone, exposing part of his chest. The girl’s hands were practically yanking at Danny’s bushy mane, but he only seemed to enjoy it more.   
You heart crept into your throat as you sat there, unsure of what to say or how to react. Your jaw was hanging open, a gasp stuck in the back of your throat. As Danny’s lips left hers and began traveling down the side of her neck, he detected your presence.   
“I’m s-so… I didn’t mean… I j-just,” you stuttered. “I’m so so-sorry.”   
As you bolted out the door and back into your own room, you were terrified of what was to come. The two didn’t even react when they saw you. They just stood there as still as statues.   
The images were already playing over and over in your head and you felt sick to your stomach.  
You cried yourself to sleep that night.   
Because at that moment, you realized you were deeply and unconditionally in love with Danny Sexbang. But he didn’t love you back, only shattering your heart into millions of irreparable pieces.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry.   
> But thank you for the general response to this story! I keep forgetting to say, but thanks so much 73 kudos and over 1.6k hits. This is incredible to me and I'm so grateful for all of you. I never expected this response. I love you.   
> Also, feel free to contact and/or follow my tumblr: lilyevnss.tumblr.com   
> Have a very happy holidays and know that I love each and every one of you!


	11. Chapter Eleven

The next morning was just as, if not even more, awkward as you expected it to be. The very second you woke up, you contemplated locking yourself in your room and spending the rest of your days in solitude. Or perhaps climbing down the side of the building, brick by brick, until you found yourself on the solid ground. Perhaps you could even wish yourself out of existence if you tried hard enough.   
It didn’t work.   
Instead, you spent the next thirty or so minutes in the shower, scrubbing away any trace of last night. Your mind was plagued with the images of Danny and his mystery girl, causing you to only scrub at your skin even more. By the end of it, your skin was raw and felt as though it was on fire, showing clear indications where you washed your arms and legs in almost a fit of rage.   
You took your time dressing yourself, being far too aware that you would have to face Danny—and possibly the girl—eventually. This caused your heart to begin to beat faster and faster, metaphorically pumping the anxiety and anger through your veins.   
Destiny, however, was a cruel bitch.   
Almost as though he knew, Danny began to knock on the bathroom door the second you finished buttoning your shorts. Cursing yourself, you stood there silent, wondering what you should do. After he called out for you multiple times and you remained silent, he seemed to get the picture that you were in no mood to talk at this moment, or perhaps, any moment to come. You heard him let out a gentle sigh before falling silent.   
“I’m so sorry, _____,” you heard him whisper through the door. This—his sound of innocence—was what broke you and caused you to open the door and face him.   
The second you opened the door, his head shot upward, no longer focused on the ground underneath his feet, but rather, studying your facial expressions. You tried not to let your true feelings unmask themselves, especially since you had no idea as to what they truly were. Danny, however, had no problem expressing his true emotions. His face was completely overshadowed by guilt, letting you know that he was still thinking about last night’s events.   
This was the face of the man you loved. Even if he didn’t love you back.   
“What the hell are you sorry for?” you questioned when you remembered why he was here.   
“For last night,” he responded.   
“But--,” you began stuttering. “That was all my fault, Danny.”   
He shook his head, sending his unruly hair flying back and forth with each motion. “I should’ve called you. To let you know what I was doing.”   
“Or, perhaps, I could’ve not been in your room,” you retaliated. “I mean, that’s what clearly caused the problem.”   
“Well—“   
“Well nothing, Danny,” you cut him off. “It was your room and I was trespassing. You’re in no fault here.”   
“Why were you in my room?” he whispered, his eyes slowly leaving yours.   
“Couldn’t sleep,” you replied. “I was gonna wait for you to come home so I could bother you.”   
“I’m sorry.”   
“Don’t be. You couldn’t have known,” you shrugged. “Anyway, did I, uh, did I totally ruin the mood for you two last night?”   
This incredibly awkward question thankfully brought a slight grin to Danny’s face. “Nah. Everything was… fine.”   
“Oh,” you replied, slightly shocked by his response. “Well, that’s good.”   
“She liked you,” he smiled. “She even mentioned letting you join in.”   
“You’re disgusting, Danny Sexbang,” you retaliated with an eye roll. Secretly, however, you were happy he was back to joking with you—even if it was in a completely creepy manner.   
“I’m kidding. I’m just kidding, _____.”   
“Just make sure you let me know next time something like that ever happens, okay?” you questioned.   
“I promise I will,” Danny replied, pulling you in for a hug.   
In the midst of it all, you realized that you had probably only fallen for Danny harder. And he had only seemed to pull away even more…   
~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
Later that week, after digging for quite a long time, you found the business card that Katherine Moore of “We’re All Booked Up” Publishing House that she had offered you in the bathroom of the party. Sliding the card in between your fingers, you decided that perhaps it was in your best interest to call them and maybe even ask her a few questions about what would be expected of you if you did, in fact, decide to go through with any sort of book deal. Besides, writing had always been your forte. You frequently enjoyed storytelling through any method possible and much preferred English over any field of science, much to the dismay of your father.   
After several excruciating long rings, you were finally welcomes by the voice of Katherine, herself. She seemed pleasantly surprised to hear back from you, especially in such a timely manner. Her tone was polite and gentle, quickly soothing any sort of frustrations or worries that you previously had. She also seemed to be interested in what you had to say and any questions that you may have had— no matter how simple or stupid you thought they were.   
Her company wanted to hear more about your side of the story, Katherine explained. They knew all of what the media was saying, but they wanted your honest testament to the traumatic events that you faced. They wanted to hear the nitty-gritty facts about not only what Samurai Abstinence Patrol truly wanted from you, but also about the extraordinary means that they went through in order to get exactly what they wanted.   
You were hesitant at first. In order to tell the true story, you would be required to do a lot of oversharing—something you were never really good at. The story would also have to include the true effects of the T19, something that wasn’t even your secret to tell. On the other hand, however, it seemed like it could be a great idea, especially after all of Katherine’s coaxing. You did love writing, after all. Before you could even think everything through, you heard yourself agreeing to write a sample chapter to see what the company thought.   
Despite the fact that you graduated with a degree in writing, words were not flowing out of you like they did once before. You began with your preferred method of a laptop, but after the keyboard no longer looked inviting, you quit and decided to go the old fashion route and use pencil and paper. This didn’t work either. The blank sheet of paper, marked only with the college ruled lines and not your creativity, began to feel much more like an enemy than a friend you could rely on.   
Both Danny and Ninja Brian sensed your frustration with the sheet of paper, but decided not to question it. Rather, they invited you to sit among them and watch as they played video games, making sure to ask you to join in at any spare moment. You always refused, believing that any minute now, the right words could strike you and you would have a proper retelling on your hands. Danny even went as far as to offer a massage when he saw your glare only intensify at the wordless sheet. This did cause you to smile, but you ignored the friendly gesture.   
You were a strong believer that inspiration could strike at any moment possible, but you honestly didn’t expect it to come in the middle of the night. Rather, you were expecting to find your muse in the shower or in the middle of a conversation, but not when you bolted awake at 3:07 AM. You immediately set out to find a spare sheet of paper and some sort of writing utensil to allow the words to escape your head.   
Within minutes, you realized that perhaps you had just created the best introduction to the book you were planning to write. It was something people would actually be willing to read.   
~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
“_____,” you heard Danny call as your bedroom door creaked open. “I saw the light on. How long have you been awake?”   
You yawned and glanced towards the clock located on your bedside table. The numbers clearly displayed that it was just after 9 AM, but you refused to believe that you’d been up for that long.  
“For a bit,” you lied, deciding that it was better not to tell him the truth. “Just, you know, writing.”   
“So I see,” he replied, taking a seat on your bed. “You’ve been trying to do that for a while, huh?”   
“Yeah, I suppose so.”   
“What’s so important about it?”   
You shrugged again. “I don’t know. I mean, everything happening would make a good story, don’t you think?”   
Danny chuckled. “Yeah. I believe it would.”   
You slowly stood up and make your way over to your bed to sit next to him. He smiled brightly at you, making you feel at home all while your heart fluttered faster and faster in your chest.   
“Danny, can I ask you something?”   
“Anything.”   
“Do you hate me?” you slowly whispered.   
“Why on earth would you even think that?” he suddenly demanded, looking very concerned.   
“I don’t mean like a deep-seated hatred, but just any sort of aversion towards me. At all?”   
Danny was silent for a moment, causing you to slightly panic. You began to bite at your lip in anxiety, wondering why he was staying silent for so long. Suddenly, your mind was racing, making you realize that this was such a stupid question to ask him.   
“I’m sorry,” he said suddenly. “I was just thinking about how on earth you could think anything like that.” You felt yourself slowly start to breathe again, taking in a breath that you didn’t even know you were holding. “_____, I couldn’t hate you even if I tried.”   
“I mean, Danny, think about it. I, sort of, unintentionally ruined your life.”   
“What is bringing this on?”   
“I don’t know,” you sighed. “I mean, I was writing and so remembering everything that happened and, well, I messed up a lot.”   
“_____, stop.”   
“Please think about this. Because I have messed up and I don’t know how to fix it,” you whispered, feeling the lump in your throat begin to form. “And I need to fix it…”   
“What’s bringing this on?”   
“I told you. I was writing and—“   
“No, _____, what is actually bringing this on?” he cut you off.   
“Danny, I just said…” you tried to reason.   
But deep down, you knew that wasn’t true. And neither did he.   
“Does this have to do with the girl last week?” he whispered.   
“No, oh God, no,” you stuttered. “I mean, I did sort of ruin that for you, but it’s not what I’m talking about.”   
“_____, you didn’t ruin that for me at all!”   
“But I definitely made it awkward!” you replied.   
“_____, please stop all this.”   
“See! You didn’t even try to deny it!”   
“What do you want me to say, _____?”  
“I just want you to quite pretending everything is okay!”   
“But everything is okay!” Danny reciprocated.   
“No! It isn’t! None of this is okay!”   
“Well then what are do you want to do about it?” he asked. The anger was clearly present in his voice and you could feel the tears welling in your eyes. You desperately wanted to stop, but there was something in the back of your mind that made it damn near impossible. There were just so many problems that needed to be dealt with. And you had to deal with them.   
“I want to move out,” you whispered, your voice barely audible. You didn’t even want to think about what you were truly saying, almost as though you were afraid that you would change your mind if you questioned it too much. “I want to move out and start a brand new life.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again for reading! I'm sorry for it being a little late, especially after last chapter, but as you know, it was the holidays. Merry belated Christmas to all those who celebrate it!   
> Also, I'm not entirely sure, but I do believe that this is very close to the end of this story. There will most likely be 4 or 5 chapters left, but I feel as though this is nearing the finale.   
> I want to take the time to thank all of you for reading this and actually caring about it. I was honestly so relieved when I saw that people seemed to like this story. Thank you for making writing fun again.   
> Reminder that you can always find me on tumblr: lilyevnss.tumblr.com


	12. Chapter Twelve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning: panic attacks, PTSD flashbacks

“I want to move out,” you whispered, your voice barely audible. You didn’t even want to think about what you were truly saying, almost as though you were afraid that you would change your mind if you questioned it too much. “I want to move out and start a brand new life.” 

“_____, why are you talking like this?” Danny asked. Your eyes met his hazel ones. Through your own tears, you could see a few well up in his eyes also. At that moment, you felt as though your heart was practically being ripped out of your chest. But you started this. You would have to end it too.

“Think about it, Danny! I’ve done nothing but leech off of you since this all started!”

“Stop this!” Danny yelled. Your tears were free flowing now. They were streaking down your face, but you instinctively wiped them away with the back of your hand. “Stop talking like this, _____!”

You opened your mouth to respond, but no words came out. Rather, you were forced into silence by your sobs. Your fingers found themselves in your hair and raked it back, trying to get it out of your way in order to breathe. It didn’t work.

In that moment, you couldn’t breathe anymore.

Your brain was screaming for you to do something—anything. You felt as though your lungs had collapsed because no air was going in or out. The tears were only falling faster now, making it all worse.

“_____?” Danny called out. You suddenly remembered that he was also in the room, causing everything to grow worse. You were spoiling _everything_ , dammit. “_____, please talk to me. Are you okay?”

You audibly gasped for breath, but it was to no avail. His hands were on your shoulders the second he realized this. You felt yourself being physically pulled into his lap and being forced to sit there with his arms wrapped around you. In that moment, you weren’t entirely sure if it was helping or hurting more. Your breathing became more warped and sporadic, causing Danny to tense a little.

“Shhh,” he whispered in your ear. “It’s okay. Just try to calm down, _____.”

His voice sounded like a melody in your ears. You silently tried to urge him to continue, which, somehow, he managed to figure out. At that moment, he began humming a sweet and gentle tune—one of which you had never heard before—and you felt as though a weight was lifted off your chest.

As Danny continued to hold you in his arms and hum, you began to feel ever so slightly better. Within minutes, the screeching in your brain had been shushed to only a whisper and your muscles were no longer tensing. Air was flowing somewhat regularly through your lungs—still slow and not as stable as normal, but it was still working.

Danny still didn’t let you go. It was almost as though he was afraid if he did, you’d be gone in the blink of an eye.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

You weren’t sure when you actually fell asleep, causing the sensation of waking up to startle you slightly. You tried to move your arms in order to push your hair out of your face and study your surroundings through your sleepy haze. But when you felt a sort of restraint against you, however, your heart jumped into your throat. Looking down, you realized that it was only Danny’s arms wrapped protectively around you and not the metal restraints of the warehouse like you believed.

“Hmm?” Danny called out groggily. You turned to face him and watched as he slowly woke up and smiled at you. “Are you okay?”

“I guess,” you whispered. “What time is it?”

“11:38,” he replied, looking over at your clock that you momentarily forgot you had.

“When did I fall asleep?”

“Around 9:45. You finally calmed down.”

“I’m so sorry,” you murmured, feeling your face grow red with embarrassment.

“Please don’t worry about it, _____.”

“I messed up again, didn’t I?”

“No, _____. Not at all.”

You didn’t believe him.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Holly came over the next day to color your faded hair. Although you were almost sure she could practically feel the tension in the air between you and Danny, she never mentioned it. Rather, you two just separated yourselves from the other two in order to “concentrate” while she slathered your hair in dye.

“Holly?” you called after several minutes of mind-boggling silence. You knew she was trying to concentrate in order to not mess up, but this was just excessive. She hummed in response to let you know she heard you, but still continued her diligent work. “I think I’m going to move out soon.”

"She stopped suddenly, but didn’t face you. You looked up into the mirror across from you and watched her facial expressions change before your very eye.

“You’re serious about this?”

“Well, yes.”

“I mean, Danny mentioned it to me, but it didn’t sound like a big deal.”

“That’s because it’s not a big deal, Holly,” you replied.

“_____. This is a major deal.”

“I don’t understand why. I mean, I moved out here on my own however many months ago.”

Holly took a deep breath before she continued to recolor your hair. “A lot has happened since then. I mean, you more than anyone knows this.”

“Yeah…” you replied, trying to urge her to continue.

“Danny’s worried about you.”

“But,” you whispered. “He doesn’t need to be.”

“_____, he called me yesterday. You know, after everything happened… He was really scared. He said that he had never seen you act like that and it frightened him beyond belief.”  You opened your mouth to begin asking why he was scared, but you soon realized. You had virtually lost all control of yourself in that moment. “But, if you really want to do this, I suppose I will help you.”

You turned to face her and smiled brightly. Neither one of you discussed this topic anymore. Rather, you just let her continue to work and restore your hair to its silver tone.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Finding an apartment wasn’t nearly as stressful as you believed it to be. There was something about the concept of having the same person who befriended Ninja Sex Party living in an apartment owned by them that landlords found fascinating. They all tried to lower their prices and offer you any sort of deal that would make them seem more extravagant.

After a few different places, you-- alongside with Holly and Ross-- found the perfect apartment. Two bedrooms—one to be used as a guest bedroom or an office--, a spacious bathroom, connected living room and kitchen, and graciously coming in partially decorated. This left you to only have to buy a few necessities such as a toaster, nightstand, coffee table, and a few bookshelves for personal reasons. All in all, you realized that you probably couldn’t have discovered a better deal.

Leaving was bittersweet, however.

You knew that this would be the case, but you didn’t stop and think that it may hurt this much. Ever since you moved to Attitude City, Danny and Ninja Brian’s apartment was the only home you’d even know. Now, you expected yourself to just pack up what little belongings you had and start a fresh life elsewhere.

It didn’t help that you had unsolved complications with Danny either. It had only been four days since you told him you wanted to move out and somehow both of you had managed to talk about everything but the specific topic. When you mentioned that you found a new place, he only replied with a nod and then went began asking what you wanted for dinner that night. It stung much more than you believed it would.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

“Need help packing anything?” Danny asked. You turned away from the cardboard box you were stuffing with clothes and faced the man that had been avoiding the topic like the plague.

“I think I got it. Thank you though,” you replied, turning back to the task at hand.

"Do you mind if I sit down?” he asked. You shook your head in response and heard him sit down on your bed behind you. “It’s going to be lonely without you here.”

“You’ll still have Ninja Brian,” you grinned. “He’s great fun.”

“Yeah,” Danny chuckled. “I suppose you’re right.”

“You know it’s not like you’re never going to see me again, right?” you replied, turning to face him and noting the somewhat somber look on his face. “I’m not leaving for good. Even if it feels like it.”

“I know that, _____.”

“Danny, there’s only one way I’m ever going to leave you,” you said, grabbing his hand with yours. “And that’s if you ask me to.”

“I would never ask you to.”

“Good,” you smiled. “I’ll remember that.” He chuckled in response, seeming to feel a bit happier. “I just need to do this for me. Does that make sense?”

“Yeah. I get that.”

“Thank you,” you replied, feeling much better after finally having this much-needed discussion.

“_____, you’re gonna do great out there on your own.”

You weren’t sure what he particularly meant by that statement, but it was enough to calm your nerves about moving out.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In an instant, you felt as though you had been transported back into the warehouse where you were kept captive. The room around you seemed to fade and transform into the warehouse. It only lasted for a second before shifting back to new bedroom in your new apartment.

Your heart was pounding furiously against your chest and you reached for your phone in desperation. Finally, you found it and quickly dialed a number you knew by heart. Danny picked up after only a few rings, both sleep and worry clouding his words.

“_____,” he called out. “Is everything okay?”

“I just,” you replied, feeling somewhat out of breath. “I woke up from a nightmare and I thought—I thought I was back in the warehouse.”

This definitely woke up him up.

“What do you need me to do? I can be over in about eight minutes if you can wait.”

“No, no, nothing like that,” you replied, trying to resume normal breathing once again.

“Then what?”

“The song you were humming the other day,” you whispered. “The day I told you I wanted to move out.”

“Yeah, I remember it.”

“Does it have words?”

“ _Good night, my _____. Good night, my dear._ _It's time to close your eyes. It's time to dream_ , _”_ Danny began.

You immediately felt more comfortable and practically envisioned him sitting with you as he sang.

_“We made it through another day. Tomorrow we’ll do it again. So rest your little head right now. Soon the sun will rise and a new day will begin. I know there are lots of scary things out there.  
But you can always be sure I’ll be right here. Good night, my _____. Good night, my dear. It's time to close your eyes. It's time to sleep._ ”

Within minutes, with Danny still on the phone singing the same lullaby on repeat, sleep had consumed you in a blanket of dreamless sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As much as I wish I could take claim to the beautiful lullaby that Danny sings in this chapter, I did not write it. Rather, it is from a short film on youtube called "LULLABY: A Zombie Musical" which I highly recommend you watch. (It has my love, Mary Kate Wiles in it.) I only changed a few of the words in order for the song to fit the story.  
> Another song I would recommend listening to is "Dearly Departed" by Marianas Trench (aka my favorite band). I listened to it while writing the first bit of the chapter and it just seemed to work really well and make it somewhat more emotional.  
> Also, Happy New Year! I hope all of you have an extraordinary 2016.  
> Thanks again for reading! I love you all!


	13. Chapter Thirteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A somewhat experimental chapter, consisting mostly of excerpts from the novel, telling more about your experiences.

_ Chapter One: Brand New Sherriff’s Come to Town: _

_Ever since I was little, the concept of living in Attitude City seemed to be embedded in my brain. My father-- my biggest inspiration besides J.K. Rowling—was very clear in his dream for me. I was raised on idea that Attitude City was the place where dreams came true and everything was larger than life. When my father died before he ever had the chance to move to Attitude City for himself, I decided it was in my best interest to permanently reside there myself._

_The move was far easier than I thought. Packing up everything I had wasn’t nearly as grueling as I had mentally prepared myself to believe and the four hour drive wasn’t too bad either. When I made it to the city limits, I fully understood why my father was in love with Attitude City. As far as my eye could see there were glorious skyscrapers that disappeared amongst the clouds and friendly people who would smile and wave no matter what they were doing beforehand. Everyone seemed content._

_However, no one warned me about the danger that also subsisted in Attitude City. There was no happy informational pamphlet that explained the situation surrounding the evil forces that called themselves Samurai Abstinence Patrol. Rather, I was thrown into the situation head first._

_I had my first encounter with Arin Neverbone and Samurai Barry on the day I arrived. My warm welcoming present from them was several gunshots aimed towards me and a decision to burn down the entire apartment building that I had just moved into. It’s safe to say that I felt less than welcome._

_When I ran from them, however, I was met by my saviors—a Jewish superhero and a ninja. Danny Sexbang, aka the Jewish superhero, was the one to push me out of a car’s path and away from uncertain death. Together, we ran to safety and met up with Ninja Brian, who proceeded to knock me unconscious before I could demand any answers from them._

_A lot has happened between the day that I arrived and the desk where I’m sat at now. For instance, my hair is now a silver color that I didn’t think I could achieve until I was about ten or so years older. The back pain is more intense than I thought it would be at my age, but I assume that’s suspected with all of the stress boiling inside of me. The nightmares have gotten worse, I suppose they were always a problem, but in the past months they’ve only increased in spookiness._

_The best thing about Attitude City?_

_I have two new best friends. Ones who will always have my back. Ones who don’t question my weird habits, like baking sweets in the middle of the night when I’ve got too much on my mind. Ones who notice when I’m having a bad day and do everything in their power to make it better._

_Ones who make all of the pain and hardship worth it._

_And that, dear friends, is why I stay in Attitude City._

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

                The publishing company loved what you wrote. They were quick to churn out a contract—an actual decent one with benefits for you—and beg for more. You set of to writing, once again destroying your sleeping schedule beyond repair.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

_ Chapter Six: A Guide on not Getting Kidnapped:  _

                _Word to the wise: don’t get kidnapped. Being held captive in an abandoned warehouse should never_ ever _be on the top of your to-do list. 0/10 do not recommend._

_That being said, I suppose it’s time for me to explain exactly how my name came to be known around Attitude City. Sure, there are many rumors as to what exactly happened, but it’s time for me to explain the entire thing, isn’t it?_

_Being kidnapped isn’t nearly as glamorous as Hollywood makes it out to be. There wasn’t a cloth sack put over my head or tape put over my mouth to keep me warm. On no. For me, it came with being stabbed and then, once again, being knocked unconscious. The rest of the details aren’t nearly as nice either. Being shackled to a chair, starved and dehydrated almost to the brink of death, being electrocuted, hardly given time to sleep, being almost drowned to death, and eaten by sharks are not nearly as fun as they may sound to some. As I said before, 0/10 do not recommend._

_It all started with Danny, Ninja Brian, Ross, and Holly decided that I was ready enough to adventure outside the apartment walls for the first time since I was almost killed. At this point in time, everything about me had essentially changed. I now had silver hair, a fake English accent that surprisingly sounded authentic, and a brand new aesthetic. However, I apparently didn’t have common sense._

_When confronted by Suzy—the wife of Arin Neverbone—I didn’t recognize her, especially considering the fact that she was disguised as a humble worker. She seemed very polite, questioning as to if I need any help while shopping. At the time, I was so irrational and vulnerable that I didn’t think anything of it. Together, we went into the storage room, looking for a different color for a shirt that I truly shouldn’t have cared about._

_That’s when I met Suzy’s sidekick—a rusty blade._

_Throughout my childhood, my father was a very secretive man. He never shared anything about where he went during the day or what he was sketching late at night, claiming that he was keeping these secrets for my safety. Now, I am in no way blaming him, but I’m just gonna say, if he would’ve shared more about his job experience with me, there’s a large chance I wouldn’t have been stabbed._

_Suzy was very interested in what my father did for a living. When she had me cornered, she began demanding that I tell her more about the things that my father’s job. Things, naturally, that I didn’t know. The rust blade met with my side, slicing its way through my clothes and skin. I wasn’t forced to feel the pain for long. “Thankfully”, Suzy decided that this was the perfect time to knock me unconscious._

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

_ Chapter Twelve: The Final One Full of Thanks:  _

_Throughout my lifetime, there have been three men who have impacted who I am as a person more than I ever though imaginable. These three men have helped me become who I am as a human being today. They are the reason I’m sitting here, writing down my story, and able to tell it to you today._

_To my father, the kindest man I have ever met. It pains me to know that you were never able to witness all that I have done in the past few months. I know just how much fun you would have hearing these stories. You did so well during your lifetime. I wish that one day I can make just a fraction of the impact that you did. This story goes out to you._

_To Ninja Brian, the scariest man I have ever met. Oh yeah, you read that right. Not only did you terrify me beyond belief when we first met, but sometimes you even do so now. I mean that in the most loving way possible. Thank you for always being my test dummy when it comes to new recipes that I created in the middle of the night. Thank you for not judging me when I bake in the middle of the night. Although I have never heard you once utter a word, your silent actions that brim with mystery speak enough. Thank you for protecting me when I need it most._

_To Danny Sexbang, the funniest and kindest man I have ever met. As I stated in the beginning of this book, we first met when you saved me from being ran over by a really crappy car. If it wasn’t for you, my tombstone would probably read something really stupid right about now. You’re one of my best friends and I say that with deep pride and honor. Thank you for the laughs and the smiles and the really stupid jokes. It has been a pleasure knowing you and being saved by you. I’m sure that the rest of Attitude City understands this pleasure as well. You are certainly a shining beacon of light when it is darkest in the world._

_Danny Sexbang, I’m in love with you._

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

                As you attached the document to the email you were trying to send, your eyes skimmed over the last sentence once again. In a hasty, last minute decision, you quickly erased it and pressed send, letting your publisher and editor handle the story now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!  
> Feel free to hit me up on tumblr (lilyevnss.tumblr.com). I love you all very much.


	14. Chapter Fourteen

Your heart momentarily stopped beating in anticipation the second you walked through the door. Shouts of celebration rang out from every direction and arms engulfed you quickly. You smiled politely at people whose names you could hardly remember which your eyes scanned the crowd for someone you actually cared about. The second you spotted him, you politely made your way through the crowd, muttering apologies as you went, trying not to step on any toes in the process. As you broke through the massive crowd, his eyes caught yours and a smile spread across his face in delight. Your heart was beating rapidly as he reached his hand out and pulled you toward the others.  
It had been four months since you finished writing your book and about two weeks since you saw Danny last. Your schedules never seemed to synch up and so you were never able to sit down and chat like you used to. You hated it more than you thought possible.  
But today was the day. Today was the day your book was officially published for the masses to read. All of your hard work and sleepless nights were finally paid off. Now you could just rest amongst friends like you used to.  
Hugs and congratulations were spread to you the second Danny pulled you into the group. Holly was quick to compliment the maroon dress you were wearing, as well as explain just how much she loved the book. Ross chimed in too, agreeing that it was a good book. He gave you an especially long hug that made your heart melt. Ninja Brian even gave you a thumbs up and a single pat on the back. You were in the middle of thanking everyone when you felt Danny’s slender arms wrap around your waist and affectionately pull you into his chest. Your breath suddenly got caught into your throat with surprise. There were no complaints from you, however. Rather, you felt more at home than ever.  
Sadly, however, this wasn’t very long lived. Katherine Moore, the woman who got you the book deal in the first place, as well as setting up the entire celebration, informed you that you were needed up on the makeshift stage. You took a deep breath, remembering that you were to thank everyone for their support and read the opening chapter, and reluctantly removed yourself from Danny’s grasp. Your friends quickly rushed in to give you one more hug before letting you be whisked away by Katherine.  
Standing atop the stage at the front of the room, you realized just how many people were here to cheer you on. Sure, you didn’t really know over half of them, but they seemed really happy to be present. As your eyes raked through the crowd, they landed on Danny and you suddenly felt like you were back at the governor’s ball. As your smile slowly began to fade due to what happened that night, Danny must have taken notice. He gave you a smile of confidence, making you feel a bit better to witness such a spectacle. Deep down, you knew your feelings for him were still very present, but you just tried to ignore them so you could read quickly and be with him again.  
The second you opened your mouth, almost like it was perfectly timed, three gunshots rang out. They were fired upward, towards the ceiling, making several frail tiles fall, scaring the guests underneath. Your attention was immediately focused onto the maniacal laughter coming from the middle of the group. Slowly, the three bodies began to walk towards their subjects, guns pointed at their specific individual—one at you, one at Danny, and one at Brian.  
Arin, Suzy, and Barry were back with revenge.  
Holly and Ross were quick to find you. You jumped off the stage and pulled them both in your arms before giving them very specific instructions. There were three exit doors and roughly 150 guests. You demanded them to make sure that every single guest made it out and were far away from the building before they stop and rest. You pulled them in for one more hug, pressing a kiss to both of their foreheads before pushing them away to get their job done.  
The building was emptied almost immediately. Out of your peripheral vision, you saw Ross and Holly split apart and lead people out of separate doors. Concentrating once again on Arin Neverbone making his way towards you, you felt the adrenaline pump through your veins. You knew you had to find a weapon fast.  
“Trying to run before we even play, _____?” Arin taunted. He chuckled before running full speed at you. You barely managed to run out of his grasp as he skidded to a halt.  
“_____!” you heard Danny yell. Turning to face him, you see Suzy punching him so hard he practically crumbles to the ground.  
“No!” you yelled, trying to make your way over to him. Looking down at your feet, you realized that heels were not the dream shoes in this scenario. Arin was right before him when you ripped the right shoe off your foot and threw it at him, praying the pointy heel harmed him in some way.  
Before you made it to Danny, however, Ninja Brian swiftly kicked Suzy’s foot out from underneath her, causing her to crash to the ground with a loud thud. She remained still, signaling that she had been knocked unconscious. Ninja Brain was quick to snag the gun out of her unmoving hands and toss it to you before he turned to Samurai Barry. Within seconds, Brian pinned Barry to the wall and punched him six times before letting him slump to the floor.  
“Get Danny out of here!” you demanded, sliding next to him on the ground. He was blinking slowly, trying to stay conscious, but was very close to failing. “Bring him someplace safe and don’t come back.”  
“_____, no,” Danny stuttered. “I can fight.”  
“Brian, please,” you begged. He nodded before scooping Danny into his arms. You grabbed Ninja Brian for a second before he brought Danny to safety. Guilt churned in your stomach, knowing that it was you who got him into this position again. Leaning down, you pressed a quick kiss on Danny’s lips, not knowing if you would ever be able to do it again. In the blink of an eye, Brian and Danny were both gone.  
That left only Arin standing and you knew it was all your responsibility to take him out yourself.  
“How romantic!” Arin mocked you as you turned back to face him. “It must hurt knowing you’re going to die in this room.”  
“Not if I have anything to do with it,” you replied, holding Suzy’s handgun out in defense.  
“Who are you trying to fool? You don’t even know how to use that thing!” he cackled. You aimed for his left shoulder, pulled the trigger, and watched as it hit him exactly where you aimed. “Okay, maybe you do,” he whispered as he grabbed onto his bleeding shoulder.  
“What do you want, Arin?” you asked, keeping your distance. “You already got the T19.”  
“But you made sure to have them lock me up beforehand, didn’t you?”  
Arin caught you off guard, suddenly launching himself at you, causing you both to crash to the ground. His body was weighing down on yours, making it practically impossible to move out from underneath him. Acting quickly, you pulled your knee upward at full strength, striking him where you knew it would hurt most. As he reacted, you managed to roll out from under him and aim the gun at him once again.  
Within seconds, you felt his fist graze along your jawbone before you could push away. While you stood in shock, Arin threw two more punches—one hitting you in the face and the other in your stomach, causing you to double over in pain. Almost as payback, he swung his knee upward, hitting you in the forehead while you were leaning over, causing you to fall backwards once again. You immediately curled into a fetal position, trying to protect yourself as much as possible. His combat boot came down in fury as he kicked and stomped on your sides.  
“Had enough yet?” he taunted.  
You turned to face him, spitting out blood at his feet. “Not even close, Neverbone.”  
“Well good, _____. Because I have just the surprise for you. Stay here.” As he walked towards the main entrance, you saw him pull out a bag from the corner. Smirking at you, he unzipped it and pulled out the T19. Seeing this made you jump to your feet and strengthen your grasp on the gun you took. “Isn’t it good to see this old thing again?”  
“What are you planning on doing with that?” you asked, your voice barely above a whisper.  
“Well, you know, _____. I was thinking,” Arin replied, making his way towards you. Every single step he took towards you, you took one back. Soon, however, you tripped over the unconscious body of Suzy and fell to the ground, your gun slipping out of your hand. You silently cursed yourself as Arin stood over you, the T19 lined up perfectly with the tip of your nose. “Wouldn’t is just be perfect if the weapon your own father created was what killed you?”  
“Arin…” you croaked out, terrified for your own life.  
“That’s right, _____. Beg for your life,” Arin laughed. “Beg!”  
“Please,” you whispered, trying to buy yourself time. You had an idea, but you knew that it could go very wrong if you messed up only a single thing.  
So naturally, you went for it.  
Mimicking Ninja Brian’s earlier move, you swung your leg into Arin’s foot, causing him to slip and fall. While he was down, you rapidly crawled for the gun. As soon as your fingers wrapped around it, you felt Arin’s hand wrap around your ankle, pulling you back towards him. You somehow managed to flip over, ignoring the pain igniting and spreading through your body. Quickly, you aimed the gun for his kneecap and pulled the trigger. He slowly fell back to the ground, giving you the upper hand.  
Snatching the T19 off the ground where it fell, you aimed it at him, just like he did to you moments ago. You kept one foot on his chest, pushing all your weight onto it in order to keep him down. He glanced up at the weapon in your hands and visibly gulped.  
“Beg for your life,” you repeated. “Beg!”  
“You wouldn’t do it. We both know you don’t have the guts,” Arin Neverbone snapped back.  
Grinning ever so slightly, you pulled the trigger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Join me next time for the final chapter.   
> Feel free to message me on my tumblr: lilyevnss.tumblr.com  
> I love you all so much. Thank you for reading.


	15. Chapter Fifteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> chapter 15, or better yet known as "the final one"

You woke up to the sound of a machine shrilly beeping and the sight of several needles in your arms. The pain hit you almost instantly—like a wildfire ablaze in your body, burning every single nerve from your head to your toes. You tried to force yourself to move, practically urging yourself forward to find someone to help you, but the ache in your chest was too much to bear. It only grew exponentially worse and you were forced back into your previous laying position.   
Out of the corner of your eye, you spotted a bright red button labeled “call”. You pressed it quickly, praying that someone would run in and help you—both with your pain and massive confusion.   
Sure enough, just seconds after you pressed the button, a nurse came racing in, looking pleasantly surprised to see you awake. She peeked her head back out the door and ushered for someone to come. In came the doctor, another nurse, Holly, Ross, Brian, and Danny.   
The second your eyes spotted Danny alive and well, your heart practically jumped out of your chest. He smiled largely when he saw you and it took everything in your power not to run and jump into his arms.   
~ ~ ~ ~ ~   
Despite doctor’s orders, you found yourself back at Danny and Ninja Brian’s apartment a few days later, securely tucked into Danny’s bed with him in close range, worried that if he was to let you out of his sight one more time, you would be gone for good.   
Ever since you returned, both you and Danny fell into a comfortable schedule with each other. The two of you would wake up at whatever time, wander into the kitchen and lazily make breakfast for the two of you and Brian, shower and dress for the day, lounge around in either the living room or the game room, eat dinner, lay around some more, and then finally go back to bed, holding each other close, only to wake back up in the morning and start all over. You were happy that there was finally something constant in your life.   
~ ~ ~ ~ ~   
Although neither of you discussed it, there was clearly something happening between Danny and you. Whenever he visited, Ross was sure to make some form of joke about it, only to be shut up by his wife. Neither you nor Danny made any effort to confess or deny such a bold claim. Rather, the two of you just locked eyes, blushed, and continued whatever it was you were doing beforehand.   
It was Danny was the first to question the true status between the two of you.   
The two of you were peacefully lying in each other’s arms, much like you did practically every night. Your head was on his chest, listening to the soft, steady beat of his heart. His chin was resting on your head and his arms wrapped around your waist to keep you close, warm, and safe.   
Even though he knew you were awake, he still called out your name to be sure. You simply hummed in response, causing him to smile softly.   
“What exactly are we?” he murmured.   
You looked up at him and raised your eyebrows. “Well, Daniel, I was always informed that I was a human being. However, if you really want to get all existential about it, be my guest.”   
“_____, you know very well that I’m not talking about that.”   
You sat up and looked into his bright, glimmering hazel eyes. “We can be whatever.”   
He sighed. “But what do you want to be?”   
You took a deep breath before answering him. Your mind was racing, calculating all the different options you had and playing through all of the outcomes, both good and bad.   
But you knew what you wanted no matter what.   
Every nerve, every fiber, every single inch of your body wanted him.   
Without allowing yourself another second to over think it, you pressed your lips to his, catching him by surprise. It took him a second to realize exactly what was happening, but he accepted it with glee.   
He wrapped his arms around you and pulled you closer. You were practically sitting in his lap now, but he didn’t seem to mind one bit. Lightning was racing through your every vein, setting off a spark where ever he touched you—your lips, your face, your arms, your neck, your thighs…   
You pulled away to catch your breath, being caught surprised by the amount of fiery emotion and passion behind his every touch. You face was burning red and you smiled brightly as you pressed your forehead to his.   
“I am one hundred percent okay with that decision,” he chuckled, leaning in to meet your lips once again.   
~ ~ ~ ~ ~   
The next morning, you awoke with delight. The second your eyes fully opened and you saw Danny peacefully next to you, you gleamed. His hair was messily framing his face while he snored softly. You pulled the duvet cover closer to you, trying to keep your naked body warm. As you readjusted and snuggled closer, Danny slowly awoke.   
“Everything’s fine,” you whispered. You pressed a kiss to his lips in reassurance and he hummed in delight.   
“Now these are the types of mornings I can wake up to,” he chuckled, catching sight of you under the duvet.   
You grinned and agreed with him before laying your head back down on his bare chest. As you took a deep breath, you felt truly safe for the first time in months. You were lovingly wrapped in each other’s arms again. This time, however, you knew that no one could hurt you or him in any, way, shape, or form. Not Samurai Abstinence Patrol—who had been locked in complete isolation--, not the T19—which had been completely destroyed to stop something else like this from happening—nor any other sort of contraption that your father may have created.   
No one could stop the two of you when you were together.   
And that was an Attitude City that you wanted to live in. 

THE END.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> that's it.   
> the final chapter of welcome to attitude city is finally over with.   
> as you can see by the date that i last updated this fic, i was trying to procrastinate as much as i could. i didn't want this story to end. however, it is done. the two are happy and attitude city is safe once more.   
> thank you all for taking the time to read this, give it kudos, comment, bookmark, etc. it means more than you could ever image.   
> thank you to riley and taylor for both pushing me to write, even when i didn't want to. you two are so amazing and i love you both dearly.   
> thank you once more. i love you all so very much.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!


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